Complete Me
by Linay
Summary: AU, sequel to Broken Pieces All Kaoru wants to do is forget the past and move on. But when Kenshin becomes involved in an investigation that will unearth their forgotten history, they find themselves unwillingly drawn into a bloody power struggle.
1. Lost Pieces

**Complete Me

* * *

**

_Author's Notes: And here it is, the sequel to Broken Pieces (and I can hear you all screaming that linay FINALLY got off her lazy ass). Okay, here's what you need to know: the beginning is way less dramatic than the beginning of Broken Pieces since it starts during a time of peace. You don't need to reread Broken Pieces (and if you do, please try to ignore the blatant plot inconsistencies which I WILL be correcting sooner or later)._

_In Complete Me, Kenshin and Kaoru try to develop (redevelop) a relationship – an act complicated by the fact that Kenshin is not truly the same since his memories of his time as an assassin (and of Kaoru) have been wiped. (Don't worry, we'll get more sides to him – not just the happy one you'll see in this chapter – later on.) In the meantime, a new threat to the peace, for which they sacrificed so much, emerges. You will also remember that the nature of Kaoru's abilities is not completely clear; this will be further explored (we know so far that she can take and erase memories as well as short out electrical equipment)._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Please let me know what you think. I crave feedback.

* * *

_

**Chapter 1: Lost Pieces**

_I looked for the one my heart loves,_

_I looked for him but did not find him. _

_(Song of Solomon 3:1b)_

Kaoru found that there was never a moment when she was free of regret. She felt it keenly, as if there was something sharp wedged between her ribs as she breathed. At most times, it was a dull ache in her chest, like an old wound that refused to heal completely. But at certain moments, the pain flared up again as if someone was violently twisting the splinters of her dreams deeper into the torn muscles of her heart.

On a bright spring afternoon punctuated by the slight winter chill still in the air, Kaoru found herself battling one such moment. She was sitting in a blue plastic chair at a green patio table under a pink umbrella, watching as Kenshin tried to smile while swallowing a bite of the homemade lunch she had brought him.

She looked away with a huff. "Geez, Kenshin," she said with a light frown, "If you don't like it, just say so."

Without turning, she could already imagine the sunny smile he pasted on his face as he reassured her. "It's not that it's bad, Kaoru-san," he said as if apologizing for something _he_'d done, "It's just that I've never tasted anything quite like it before."

"In other words?"

"There are no other words, Kaoru-san," he said and she was sure he was still grinning ear to ear even with the vile aftertaste on his tongue, "I've just never had noodles cooked this way before."

Kaoru sighed loudly and rested her chin in the heel of her palm, her eyes wandering to the ice cream counter. It had only been a year ago that they had been at this exact place having ice cream, she thought to herself. At that time, Kenshin had hated the place and the pastel colours and had dragged her off after that emotionally charged incident with Yahiko.

"Do you want ice cream, Kaoru-san?" Kenshin's eyes must have followed her gaze. "It's a perfect way to cool down."

"Or get rid of the taste of the noodles," Kaoru commented dryly, "But yes, I'd love an ice cream cone."

"Chocolate, I assume?" He said, standing.

Kaoru nodded and watched him as he turned to buy ice cream. Though she'd never say it out loud, she still felt surprise whenever she saw him in his blue police uniform. Wryly, she thought that black had suited him better since the bright blue uniform clashed violently with the vivid red of his hair.

She watched as his nimble fingers counted out the coins. Of all his features, his hands seemed the most familiar to Kaoru. They alone were the same; in whatever he did, his fingers demonstrated the same dexterity she'd observed when he was wielding a sword, all those lifetimes ago. But, she thought as her eyes drifted up to the goofy smile he wore as he brought back their ice cream, everything else had changed.

"Here you go," he said cheerfully, handing her the cone and sitting back in his seat. Kenshin exhaled softly, leaning back, and Kaoru watched him enjoy the spring breeze as it drifted over his relaxed facial features. He smiled again and said, "This is a nice little corner. Thank you for suggesting it, Kaoru-san."

Kaoru shrugged.

"Such pretty colours."

Kaoru swallowed a cough as she felt the jagged edge of regret turn and rip _something _in her ribcage. It hurt, she acknowledged, it hurt a lot. She turned her chin slightly to look at the man who was and wasn't the one she loved.

Kenshin watched as a strange expression passed over Kaoru's face. He resisted the urge to frown and smiled widely instead.

"Is the ice cream not good?"

"It's fine."

"Is it, really?" He asked quietly, his voice suddenly dropping to a velvety bass.

Kaoru's eyes jerked up suddenly to search his expression, but he was already beaming sunshine through a broad grin. Kaoru tried not to frown at him.

"Yeah, Kenshin," she said, patting his hand affectionately, "It's fine."

She looked away again and the smile fell from Kenshin's face. She seemed distracted, distant even. Nearly a month had passed since their first encounter on a park bench in front of Fujiya high school. Kenshin had been surprised, to say the least, at the joy with which Kaoru had welcomed his friendship. They had been spending more and more time together since that day, even to the point of meeting during their respective work breaks. Kenshin even dared to think that their relationship had been progressing in a romantic direction.

Lately, though, she'd been looking away more and more and he knew she was trying to hide something in her eyes. He knit his eyebrows together thoughtfully. He couldn't say that she was less interested in him or that she was avoiding him, especially since she jumped at any opportunity to spend time with him. But he had noticed a far away look in her blue eyes when he said or did certain things – almost as if it brought back a painful memory. He wondered, briefly, if her previous relationship had ended badly or if he was somehow offending her. Come to think of it, he hadn't even thought to ask if she was already romantically involved with someone.

He opened his mouth to ask, but stopped abruptly as he saw her stand up swiftly.

"Kenshin," Kaoru said, looking down at her watch, "I forgot that I signed up to attend a lecture at the university."

Kenshin swallowed the personal question. "Is it another library event?" He asked instead.

Kaoru smiled down at him. "Yes, the library is one of the sponsors for this lecture series."

"I see."

Kaoru nodded and turned to walk toward the train station. Suddenly, Kenshin's fingers closed gently around her wrist. Her eyes immediately clamped shut as the sensation of his rough fingers on her skin elicited a flurry of emotion. How many times, she pondered, how many times had she felt this before?

"Kaoru-san?"

"Yes?" She didn't dare turn to look at him, her eyes still tightly closed.

"Will I see you again tomorrow?"

"Of course." She gently tugged her hand away and he let her hand fall from his. "See you."

Without a backward glance, she hurried away. Kenshin stared after her escaping form, wondering if she knew that he could easily see how her face had crumpled forlornly.

Kaoru ducked around a corner and pressed her back into the wall, cradling the hand he had touched to her chest. She jerked her head back, letting it hit the bricks behind her. The back of her head burned painfully but not so much as the sting at the back of her eyes as she fought the urge to weep.

She scrunched her eyes as tightly closed as she could. In this one aspect of her life, she felt unable to find the strength to accept the situation. He was so similar and yet so different. For the hundredth time that day, Kaoru found herself cursing her abilities, the day she had been recruited by Katsura, the moment when she had fallen in love, and the decision she had made to erase his memories.

_It's better to have loved and lost … _

Kaoru swore as the common phrase ran like sick joke through her mind.

_…than to never have loved at all. _

It's not true, she wailed internally. She couldn't imagine anything worse than this – to remember with pinpoint accuracy the way he would flick his amber eyes to her, the way he would draw his rough fingertips over her cheek, the way he knew her and yet loved her. To remember, to imagine everything that might have been while knowing that she was alone in her memories. He no longer knew her. He no longer loved her in the deep, all-consuming way he had before.

Kaoru was lonely and, even worse, she had been forgotten.

Pulling herself together, she pushed away from the wall and swiped at her errant tears. Straightening her clothes, she reprimanded herself for wasting time. She might be late for the lecture and she was the person responsible for introducing the speaker. She smoothed the dust from her clothes and marched away, not looking back.

And it was fortunate that she hadn't turned back, Kenshin thought, otherwise she might have caught a glimpse of him as he lounged against a metal railing across the street. He had watched her struggle with herself and had barely restrained himself from surging forward to comfort her when she had banged her head against the wall. Had someone hurt her? He felt something twist deep in his gut as he watched her brush away stray tears. He didn't realize it, but his face darkened with an unnamed emotion.

Nearly an hour later, Kaoru entered the crowded auditorium with a smile. Her eyes found the familiar face of the chairman of the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies and she descended the steps to the front of the lecture hall with graceful ease.

"Mr. Araki," she said with a gracious bow, "It's nice to see you again."

"Ah, Kamiya-san," he replied with a bow of his own, "I'm glad you agreed to come. It's a lecture I'm sure you'll enjoy."

Kaoru smiled. The scheduled lecture was on the topic of memory loss in young adults. How could she not be drawn to such a subject?

Hayato Araki turned to the young man standing beside him, who dipped into a polite bow. "This is Mr. Yoshida's research assistant," he said, "Unfortunately, Mr. Yoshida has fallen ill and can't be with us today. But he assured me that his assistant is more than qualified to give this talk."

Kaoru turned slightly to offer the young man a courteous bow. "I'm looking forward to your talk, mister uh?" She fumbled for a name.

"Soujiro Seta, Kamiya-san." He bobbed into another deep bow, his short, unruly brown hair flouncing into his eyes.

"Seta-san."

"Well, then," Mr. Araki said, glancing at his wristwatch, "Shall we get going?"

Kaoru nodded eagerly and stepped toward the microphone, her eyes sweeping over the elevated rows of students. Just as she inhaled to speak, she thought briefly of Ikumatsu, who had taught her so much about etiquette. Then, she swept away the lingering sadness that threatened to distract her at the mere thought of her previous life.

Her mouth opened and the smooth, gracious words tumbled into the auditorium. She thanked the sponsors and the university. Then liberally complimented the guest lecturer, Soujiro Seta, and briefly outlined the topic of the talk.

With a deep bow, she backed away from the podium and headed for a seat in the front row, next to Mr. Araki. She pushed down the folded seat with one hand and slid into it effortlessly. As the young man stepped up to the microphone with an impossibly wide smile on his childlike face, Mr. Araki leaned to Kaoru and patted her hand.

"You're getting better and better at this," he said with a wink.

Kaoru turned slightly to smile at the faculty chairman. "Thank you," she said with a bright smile, "I think I'm getting used to it."

The chairman smiled and the wrinkles at the edge of his grey eyes deepened. He wasn't an old man, mid-forties perhaps, but his smooth face was slightly rippled with age and his short hair was peppered with grey. In his dark blue suit and crisp dress shirt and tie, he was the picture of a dignified intellectual.

"It's a pity we can't have you out at all our faculty events," he said with an amused sigh.

Kaoru grinned and turned to the front to tune into the lecture. Soujiro Seta, she noted, really seemed to know and love his area of expertise. He spoke animatedly, gesturing and grinning all the while. She found herself smiling as he explained; his amiable tone and demeanour pleasant. His lecture ended with the enthusiastic applause of the audience and the young man spent several minutes bowing and smiling. He spent the better part of an hour fielding individual student questions. Mr. Araki and Kaoru watched and waited at the sidelines, occasionally commenting on the lecture's success.

"That was an excellent lecture," Mr. Araki told the young research assistant as he and Kaoru walked with him toward the entrance to the building, "I'm sure Mr. Yoshida couldn't have done it better himself."

Even while walking, Soujiro managed a half bow. "You flatter me, Araki-san." He turned slightly to Kaoru, flashing a jubilant grin. "Did you enjoy the lecture, Kamiya-san?"

Kaoru nearly blushed under the intensity of his sparkling blue eyes. "Of course, Seta-san-"

"Please, call me Soujiro."

"Soujiro-san, then. It was quite fascinating."

"I would love to know what part you found the most fascinating, Kamiya-san."

"It's Kaoru." They stopped by the large glass doors and she turned to face him. "Well, I thought that"-

Mr. Araki interrupted her with a low chuckle. "It seems we're on the verge of an academic discussion," he said with a warm smile, "Perhaps, we should have a drink at a restaurant? You know," he said with a slightly sly wink in Kaoru's direction, "I'm always looking for excuses to spend time with you."

Kaoru reddened slightly and Soujiro laughed merrily. "I would love to take you up on your offer, but I'm afraid I must visit Mr. Yoshida to let him know how the talk went." He smiled brightly. "I do hope we will meet again."

"Take care," said Mr. Araki.

Kaoru bobbed her head politely. "It was nice to meet you."

Then, Soujiro was stepping forward and Kaoru instinctively made as if to move to the side to clear the way for him. But before she had even shifted, she found that he was already abreast of her, his shoulder nearly touching hers. Startled, she looked up – only to find that he was already looking down at her, his blue eyes trained on hers and his smile gone. Their eyes met for merely a moment, but it felt as if time paused. And then his fingers brushed against hers.

Kaoru's face broadened in shock as she felt a jolt of electricity travel from the tips of her fingers to the soles of her feet. In that secret moment, her eyes widened as she _saw_.

_There was so much blood. It coated her upturned hands and dribbled down her forearms. The coppery tang of it assaulted her nostrils and her throat stung from forcing down vomit. And beyond her, she could hear the shrieks and see the lifeless, mangled bodies with open, unseeing eyes. _

_But there, in the red haze: a streak of silver. And then another, like flashes of lightning. The haze cleared and Kaoru saw what she feared most. _

_Then, she was screaming. _

"Be careful where you step, Kaoru-san," Soujiro said as he caught her across the chest with one arm before she stumbled forward.

She turned dazed eyes up and then pulled back, carefully scrutinizing his cheery grin. "What?"

"Looked like you tripped right over Soujiro-san's foot," Mr. Araki offered helpfully, "You would have fallen if he hadn't been so quick."

"I'm so sorry," Kaoru mumbled, her eyes going from one man to the other. Since they were both still smiling genially down at her, she deduced that she hadn't actually been screaming aloud. She gently pressed her fingers to her forehead. It had certainly _felt_ real. She looked down and inspected her hands, turning them over.

"Well, then," Soujiro said good-naturally after an awkward pause, his face beaming, "Thank you so much for having me." He turned to leave.

Kaoru watched the man go, her puzzled eyes following his slight form until he turned a corner and was out of her sight. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice that Mr. Araki had placed his large hand on her shoulder.

"Would you still like to get that drink with me?"

His question snapped her back to the present. "Oh," she said with apologetic bow, subtly backing out from under the hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Mr. Araki. I already have plans."

"Right now?"

"Ah, yes." She stepped backward. "I'm meeting a friend."

* * *

"Kaoru-san!"

She smiled as Kenshin ushered her into his office at the police department. She sank gratefully into a chair while he stood in front of her, leaning against the edge of his desk.

"Hello Kenshin," she said tiredly, "I'm sorry to visit you so unexpectedly."

"Not at all," he said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to her, "I'm just sorry that you walked through the rain all by yourself without an umbrella. It really did come down unexpectedly, didn't it?"

Kaoru mopped the moisture from her face with the square of cloth. She grinned ruefully. "It only rains on the days when I leave my umbrella at home. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"Better now," he said, "Since you're visiting me. I must admit, my supervisor really seems to have it in for me." He sighed. "So what brings you, soaking wet I might add, to my humble office?"

Kaoru fidgeted. "Well," she admitted, "I had a sort of weird day. And I just wanted to, you know."

Kaoru watched as Kenshin's face lit up in delight. His eyebrows lifted, his violet eyes rounded and his lips stretched open. Kaoru watched this transformation and felt a glad sob rise from her chest. She quickly covered it with a sheepish laugh, pressing her knuckles to the bridge of her nose. Looking up again, she discreetly brushed away the tears that had collected in her eyes.

Ah, she thought as she gazed at the weightlessly happy expression on his face, this made it worth her sorrow – to see him smile freely, without guilt.

Without thinking, she reached forward suddenly to cup his cheek in her hand. A wistful smile graced her lips as she ran her thumb over the scar on his cheek.

"Oh, Kenshin," she exhaled quietly, drawing her hand away.

"Mm?" He caught her hand before it left his face, pressing his fingers onto hers.

"I, uh…" A slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

His smile widened, then, and his fingers curled around hers. He pulled her hand down to rest on his thigh, patting it fondly. "Yes?"

Her blush deepened. "Uh, well…I was wondering…"

Kenshin waited patiently, unconsciously drawing circles around her knuckles with the pads of his fingertips.

"Well, I haven't had supper yet."

One corner of Kenshin's lips turned upward in a knowing smirk. Kaoru's heart nearly stopped at this familiar look. "Are you hungry, Kaoru-san?"

She nodded.

"Would you like to have supper with me?" He supplied for her, sparing her the task of asking outright.

She nodded again, this time with gusto.

* * *

"Ah, hello Mr. Yoshida. I'm back." Soujiro announced his return to the dingy flat with bright enthusiasm, "The lecture went very well. I thank you for your excellent notes."

He closed the door behind him and pulled off his shoes, neatly arranging them in the tiled entrance. Noiselessly, he padded to the living room.

"Thanks to you," he called out loudly, "I was able to meet Kaoru-san. Quite an astounding young lady, I must say."

He stopped by the bay window and exhaled loudly. The small two-room apartment was sparsely furnished with only the most necessary items: an old futon, a low table and a yellowing lamp. All flat surfaces were covered in a thick grey layer of dust and Soujiro shuddered at the greasy film on the windows. It was even starting to stink.

"I might think of finding my own place soon, Mr. Yoshida," he said idly.

He bent over the table, which was covered in thick sheaves of paper, and fished a cellular phone out from under the mess. He straightened and, flipping the phone open, he dialed. It only rang twice before someone answered.

"Well?" The disembodied voice on the other end of the line fairly crackled with impatience.

"It went very well, sir," Soujiro said happily.

"What happened exactly?"

"I gave a first-rate lecture to rapturous applause. It was quite enjoyable, actually. Then Miss Kamiya and Mr. Araki walked me to the door."

"And?" The voice pressed.

"It worked."

"How do you know?"

With the tip of his pinky finger, Soujiro drew a line in the grime on the window pane. "I could see it in her eyes."

_Extra Author's notes:_

Okay, my wonderful readers and reviewers (who are not mutually exclusive, I hope!) here's the scoop. After a good kick in the pants from my husband and a couple of other people, I've decided to get my act together. Priority 1: Finish Complete Me. Priority 2: Finish The Sword that Protects. Priority 3: Edit and revise Broken Pieces. This means that I may not update the other new stories I've started as frequently as I originally thought I would. I will probably update the other stories sporadically, but my main focus will be on Complete Me and The Sword that Protects. I sincerely apologize for starting so many things at once – I know it can be frustrating. But thank you all for your exceeding patience and encouragement. It truly does mean a lot to me.


	2. awkward

**Complete Me **

_Author's Notes: I have the BEST readers in the world. Thank you so much for all your great reviews. Thank you to everyone who pointed out details about Kenshin's speech patterns (-dono, de gozaru, sessha, etc). I thought long and hard about that – and decided not include them here. Before you jump on me, let me explain: Kaoru took away his memories of killing so at this point he has no guilt and therefore doesn't humble himself as much as in the canon universe. At the same time, he is very polite. I hope you can understand and put up with my decision!_

**Chapter 2: Awkward**

_I am forgotten by them as though I were dead,_

_I have become like broken pottery._

_(Psalm 31:12)_

The steady pitter-patter of rain against the umbrella Kenshin held above them filled their companionable silence as they walked through the dark streets. Kaoru's arm was looped through Kenshin's and she tried not to let the tension in her chest spread to her arm muscles. She let him guide her as they walked, and took the opportunity to study his pale profile from the corner of her eye. The once harsh lines of his face were now smooth and his eyes, though observant, were calm.

As if he knew he was being watched, he turned smiling eyes down at her.

"Yes?"

Kaoru shook her head and looked forward, embarrassed at being caught staring. Certain that her body would betray her anxiety, she slipped her arm from his. Their shoulders bumped awkwardly as they walked, trying to stay under the shelter of the umbrella. She side-stepped away slightly, pretending not to notice the thick drops of water that rolled off the slick sides of the umbrella onto her shoulder. She shivered. Then, she felt Kenshin's long fingers wind gently around her own. Surprised, she looked to his face. He smiled coaxingly and pulled her arm through his once again. She smiled, shyly.

**-d-b-**

People were looking, Kaoru thought to herself as she stared down at her plate of food. She felt the heat of the other restaurant patrons' stares on her back and knew that they were all wondering why such a young girl was having dinner with a police officer. She could almost taste the sour tang of disapproval that hung in the air.

"You know, you've never really told me anything about yourself." Kenshin said, after watching Kaoru push her food around her plate for half an hour.

She froze then, like a deer caught in the headlights, her entire body tense and her eyes wide. She tittered nervously. "There's nothing really to tell."

He raised an eyebrow. "Come on now," he said, neatly setting down his utensils, "There are only three things I know about you for certain: you love chocolate ice cream, you work at the university library and it never rains when you carry an umbrella."

Instead of laughing as he expected her to, Kaoru seemed to slip further into her brooding silence. After a few tightlipped moments, she finally looked up. "I enjoy reading haiku," she said guardedly.

It was like pulling teeth, he thought behind an encouraging grin. "Was that your major in university?"

Immediately, he knew it had been the wrong question. Kaoru's head dropped suddenly, her bangs falling into her face. He barely caught a series of incoherent mumblings.

"Sorry?" He asked as he leaned in.

"I never went to university." She lifted her head and it seemed to him as if she were wondering if he would hate her for it.

Kenshin reached across the table to cover her hand with his. "You don't have to go to university to be brilliant," he assured her, "You're just someone who is smart enough to get by without some old farts telling you about the world. If it makes you feel better, I don't think I went to university either." He chuckled. "At least, I don't remember."

Kaoru's face tightened and words left her mouth before she could stop them. "I didn't finish high school either," she said shortly.

"And yet you work at the university library!" Again, that infuriating smile. "You see, you're a genius."

Kaoru's fingers curled into a stiff fist. "Believe me, I'm not."

Kenshin's smile faded. "Why are you so down on yourself? I don't think it's such a big deal."

"You wouldn't know." Kaoru couldn't think above the stinging tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. Her mind whirled as she stared at his genuinely concerned face through the mist of tears. Lines of worry gently creased the pale skin at his eyes and to her, the expression seemed utterly foreign. Before, when he had been worried, his face had tightened, taut with tension visible only to those who truly knew him. Now, his emotions were plainly displayed for all to see.

It was all too _normal_ for her to bear.

"You couldn't possibly understand." She looked away, straining to cast away their forgotten history.

"Why won't you open up to me, Kaoru?"

Her heart constricted as he dropped the honorific he that usually attached to her name. "Kenshin," she said quietly, "Why do you think we get along so well?"

"I suppose it's because we have a lot in common."

"Like what?" She turned her face to level him with a serious stare.

He shrugged with a grin. "We enjoy each other's company."

Kaoru waited for him to continue but his lips were closed. "Is that all?"

"Do we need another reason to get along well?"

If I was just a normal woman and you a normal man, she thought silently. She studied his smile. "Can't you think of any other reasons?"

_A blood-soaked past carved by the sword, _

Kenshin sighed dramatically. "Well, if you want me to be specific," he said, threading his fingers through hers, "We like the same food, the same restaurants…" He paused. "I suppose I'm just waiting to find out what else we have in common." He shrugged. "At lease we're in the same age group. How old are you exactly?" He smiled to encourage her.

"I'm eighteen years old," she said suddenly, throwing his hand off. "And don't try to tell me that you're almost the same age as me. I know you're twenty-eight."

"How did you-" The smile had dropped from his face.

"It doesn't matter." Her voice rose as she stood, her chair scraping back loudly behind her. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "You're ten years older than me. Now you know."

He stood as well, his face wide in shock. "Kaoru, I-"

"Do you like me less now?" She was making a scene and she didn't care. "Well?"

She paused a moment, breathless at what she'd just blurted out. Without giving him a chance to respond, she spun on her heel and fled the restaurant. Blinded by stinging tears, she didn't see the man crossing the restaurant's front entrance. Consequently, she barreled straight into his chest and they both tumbled backward into the street. She felt strong hands grip her upper arms and pull her back onto the sidewalk, under the restaurant awning and out of the rain.

"Kaoru-san, whatever is the matter?"

Kaoru backed away from the warm arms, furiously rubbing the tears away with the heel of one slick palm. "Oh, it's you Soujiro," she tittered, feeling utterly foolish. "I'm terribly sorry."

"Please, don't be, Kaoru-san."

Kaoru looked up into his grinning face and was momentarily astonished by the luminescence of his bright, blue eyes. "But I-"

He laid a firm hand on her shoulder. "Please," he said again, "You have nothing to apologize for." He stepped fractionally closer. "What happened, Kaoru-san?"

"It's nothing, Soujiro," she lied, "Please don't worry about me. I'll be alright."

"If you say so, Kaoru-san," he replied and she could hear his doubt in spite of his glowing smile, "but I hope no one has been hurting you."

"Who is this, Kaoru?"

She turned to face the dark silhouette that stood in the restaurant doorway, blocking the warm yellow light that had illuminated the now grey concrete around her. His voice was low, but edged with a hardness that churned the anxiety in her stomach. For a moment, she couldn't breathe.

It was Soujiro who broke the awkward silence that had begun to stretch between them. "Let me introduce myself," he said genially, "My name is Soujiro Seta. I met Kaoru-san at a university lecture this afternoon."

"Is that so."

Kaoru looked from Kenshin to Soujiro and then back again and was able to feel the taut line of the stares they were leveling at one another. Suddenly she realized that Soujiro was still resting his fingers on her shoulders. Her mind screamed at her body to move but for some reason, she felt rooted to the spot.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin's voice was flat as he stepped toward her, casting a cool shadow across her face.

"Yes," Kaoru said hastily, irrationally feeling as if she needed to justify Soujiro's presence, "I met him today at the university." She was beginning to panic, as if being sandwiched between the two men was going to suffocate her. It didn't help that Kenshin had just lowered his gaze to hers. In the darkness, she couldn't tell what colours were swirling in his narrowed eyes but she knew was that she felt pinned to the spot. While under his inquiring stare, Soujiro's fingers felt like leaden weights on her shoulder. Again, she screamed at herself to pull away but, yet again, she found her tense muscles paralyzed. As Kaoru's breath quickened, she imagined that Soujiro's fingertips were spreading an almost electric tightness through her very bones.

"I see." Kenshin said as he began to turn away.

As he shifted, the golden light from the restaurant spilled across his features. It was in that split second before he turned his back to her that Kaoru glimpsed the barest shadow of fine lines under his eyes, the tell-tale sign that his finely shaped cheek muscles were contracting furiously under his smooth skin. As though she feared she would lose him in that instant, Kaoru reached for him blindly.

Kenshin paused to look back as he felt her fingers brush against the material on his back – and immediately his body went rigid. As if in slow motion, he watched as Kaoru's fingertips slipped away from his shoulder blade, her eyes rolling back and her knees buckling underneath her. Before he knew it, he had caught her limp form in his arms. He pulled her to himself and lifted her dangling limbs to keep them from the wet pavement.

"You should probably take her to a hospital."

Kenshin's eyes flicked to Soujiro, whose cheerful smile did not warm his cool, ocean blue eyes. "Don't worry about us." Without another word, he turned and left the other man standing on the sidewalk.

**-d-b-**

Kaoru struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. Her head felt heavy, and she let it loll back against the cushion rather than working to straighten herself in the reclining seat she had found herself in. Groggily, she began to pry her eyes open. As her senses slowly regained their purpose, she began to recognize the low rumbling vibration surrounding her. When she had finally blinked away the last of the haze obscuring her vision, she instantly identified the svelte interior of Kenshin's two door car.

"Kenshin?" She tilted just enough to catch his tense form in her field of vision. It wasn't difficult as he had hastily laid her into a fully reclined passenger seat.

"Yes, Kaoru-san?" He glanced down at her quickly.

"What happened?" She felt as if she had swallowed a beaches' worth of sand.

"You fainted in front of the restaurant."

"And Soujiro?"

"He left."

There was a long pause. Kenshin listened to her slightly irregular breathing.

"Where are we going?"

"I am taking you to a hospital." He punctuated the statement by violently shifting gears.

Suddenly he felt her icy fingers clamp down on his wrist with surprising force. He looked down at her wide blue eyes.

"No." Her voice was strangled. "Not there."

Kenshin allowed a slight frown to work its way onto his face. "You need to see a doctor."

"I know of a clinic," she began hoarsely.

"A clinic? I hardly think they would be able to treat you-"

"There is a doctor," Kaoru interrupted, "That I trust. Please, Kenshin," her voice cracked, "Please take me to her instead of the hospital."

Kenshin's lips tightened but he nodded. "Which clinic?"

"The Takani Medical Centre."

**-d-b-**

As soon as they passed the automatic glass sliding doors, Kenshin found Kaoru whisked away from him. The protest died on his lips, however, when he saw Kaoru totter away from him and slump into another woman's outstretched arms. He watched speechlessly as the taller woman wound protective arms around the girl while Kaoru began to mutter incomprehensibly into her white-collared shoulder. With tenderness inconsistent with her sharp expression, the woman supported Kaoru's sagging body and began to lead her down the hall. Then, for reasons unknown to him, the lady doctor leveled a spiteful glare his way. His eyebrows shot up at the bitterness she conveyed so easily.

"Himura," she snapped, "You wait out here."

Without an explanation, she dismissed him with a flick of her long black hair. Kenshin could only stare at her receding form. He sighed, his shoulders falling.

"How did she know my name?" He wondered aloud.

"Megumi Takani knows many things, Himura-san."

Kenshin turned to face the tall, dark man who he had sensed previously but who had only chosen to reveal himself now. He conjured up a cheery smile, all the while appraising the other man - whom he could tell was observing him coldly.

"I am Aoshi Shinomori," the man said finally, clearly unimpressed by Kenshin's bright grin, "Why are you here?"

"I was with Kaoru-san this evening, Shinomori-san."

Aoshi's dark eyes narrowed fractionally. "What were you doing?"

Suddenly feeling as though he was being interrogated by a jealous father, Kenshin lifted his open palms and said deferentially, "We were just having some supper."

Aoshi's thin lips turned downward slightly. "How long have you been acquainted with Kaoru-san, Himura?"

"Only a few months." He paused. "She's a wonderful girl."

Instead of responding to his comment, Aoshi strode past him – which Kenshin took as his cue to follow him down the long corridor. "Are you at all familiar with the Takani Medical Centre?"

Kenshin did not answer right away. He glanced around himself, slowly letting the sight of the white walls and polished linoleum floors wash over him. They passed an open door and Kenshin caught a glimpse of a long conference table surrounded by modern chairs. Unbidden, an image of a ruined room, filled with scattered furniture and surrounded by glass windows rose in his mind. His brow creased slightly. In his mind's eyes, the room wasn't pristine white. It was painted in red.

He shook his head suddenly, banishing the disturbing image.

"No," he responded quietly, "I have never heard of this place before."

Aoshi was silent.

**-d-b-**


	3. scattergram

**Complete Me

* * *

**

_Author's Notes: **Edit: corrected inconsistencies – thanks to the attentive readers for bringing it up. AND thank you for everyone telling me what they liked about the story; it's really helpful. **_

_Thank you so much for your encouragement and advice. I know this is also a short chapter but if I don't publish it now, I won't have another chance to for another month or two. So I hope you can bear with the shortness of it.

* * *

_

**Chapter 3: Scattergram**

_Greater love has no one than this_

_That he lay down his life for his friends_

_(John 15:13)_

Kaoru winced as Megumi pushed her uncooperative limbs onto a hospital bed. As the doctor tucked the thin sheets around her, Kaoru shivered.

"I don't know how to explain it, Megumi," she said quietly, sinking into the mattress and pulling the sheets up to her chin. "It happened so quickly, just like at Kanryuu's lab when…"

Her voice trailed off into silence. Megumi turned around, following Kaoru's line of sight, and saw Aoshi and Kenshin waiting in the doorway.

"What did you bring him here for, you idiotic ninj-"

"He did take her to us, Megumi-san," Aoshi interrupted shortly, as he took a few clipped steps into the room.

From the outside, Kenshin watched as Aoshi stepped up to Kaoru's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. The pale girl looked up into the tall man's face with a fond smile.

"I am fine, Aoshi," she said quietly, "Please don't worry about me."

"You have always said that, Kaoru-san," he replied, "And I have never complied."

Kaoru sighed as her face relaxed, her lips turned up contently as she leaned back into her pillow. "I'm sorry to cause you to worry."

Aoshi shook his head and turned to Megumi, who was unashamedly staring at Kenshin.

"Is there something you wish to ask me, Takani-san?" Kenshin asked her, his voice light but his muscles tense under her unabashed scrutiny.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister," she said, her voice scathing.

"Megumi," Kaoru said, her eyes closed tiredly, "Please don't give Kenshin such a hard time. It isn't his fault."

"How can you say that?" Megumi asked, her sharp eyes still trained on the red-head, "He was-"

"Megumi-san," Aoshi interceded, "At the very least, you should speak with Himura outside so that Kaoru-san can get some rest. You should know that she needs it."

"You," she jabbed an accusing finger at Kenshin, "Outside."

As Megumi stalked out, followed by a clueless Kenshin, Kaoru tugged at Aoshi's dark sleeve. "He doesn't remember. Please, don't let her tell him about the past, Aoshi," she whispered breathlessly, "I know she means well but I don't want him to know."

Aoshi frowned lightly as Kaoru's fingers slipped from his sleeve. Her arm fell against the sheets as she sank into a deep, drug-induced sleep. He quickly turned exited the small room, following the sound of footsteps.

Kenshin was mildly bewildered by the doctor's apparent aversion to him. He blinked as she spun around to face him as soon as they were out of Kaoru's hearing range.

"What exactly are you doing?" She demanded, as she jabbed a long red nail into his chest. "I told you-" She broke off mid-sentence as Aoshi, who suddenly appeared behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper something into her ear. Kenshin watched as the doctor's eyebrows shot up. She knocked Aoshi's hand from her shoulder as whirled around to face him. "Are you sure?" Her voice was shrill with disbelief.

In response, Aoshi only nodded calmly. Megumi shook her head stubbornly.

"Impossible. I cannot imagine her doing such a thing." She grabbed the collar of Aoshi's shirt and pulled his ear to her lips. Her teeth tight, she whispered harshly, "She _loved _him. Why would she make him forget her?"

Aoshi pried her fingers from his shirt and pulled away gently. "I do not know."

Megumi spun back around to point her finger at Kenshin again – only to find he was no longer there. "When did he-?" She searched the corridor for a sign of the man. "I didn't even hear him go."

"He may have lost his memories," Aoshi commented dryly, "But not his skill."

**-d-b-**

Kenshin stood over Kaoru's sleeping form, his eyes resting on her tranquil face. By the way her eyes moved beneath their pale lids, he knew she was dreaming.

About what, he wondered to himself.

His lips thinned as he watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest. She was an enigma, this young woman. At every turn, another mystery presented itself. How was it, he asked himself, that he had never even questioned her age. Her slim frame, her childlike face, her speech patterns – all screamed adolescence. And yet, he had always assumed that they were alike.

Truly, she was but a child. Unlike himself, she could not possibly carry the burden of upholding the new peace Kyoto had forged for itself. He still remembered the horrors of the old government, remembered his disappeared parents and neighbors, remembered the screams that still echoed in his dreams. Kenshin did not know how the peace had been restored but he knew that he was willing to kill, willing to wield his lethal technique to make sure it stayed. Someone of her age couldn't possibly understand.

And yet…

Her face was smooth in sleep, he mused, uncreased by the faint worry lines that ran across her forehead when she would look away from him suddenly while they were together. It was an expression too mature for someone of her age. He frowned slightly at the thought. When he had first met her in the park, he had felt warmed by the sunshine in her smile. But the more he tried to draw close to her, the further he felt. Even when she smiled, he found himself feeling as if something was not quite right; as if there was something he was missing. More and more often he caught her looking away as if she had suddenly tasted something vile and could not stand to let him see her grimace.

The mystery surrounding her stretched further.

Why would she insist on coming to a relatively unknown clinic instead of a hospital? Why did her doctor hate him so? Why would an obviously skilled martial artist be working at a clinic? The questions rushed through his mind.

At her side, Kaoru's fingers twitched slightly.

Drawn to the sudden movement, Kenshin's gaze fell to her hands. His eyes widened as he noticed the thick calluses on her palm and the thin white scar lines that ran up her forearm. Why hadn't he noticed this before? He reached forward to run his fingers down the length of one glossy lock of black hair. He let the smooth strands slide through his fingertips and then gently lifted the tips to brush against his lips.

Who was this girl?

**-d-b-**

When Kaoru slowly drifted awake, light was filtering through the slightly swaying blinds. She inhaled the crisp morning air, distantly hearing the rush of morning traffic outside. With a sigh, she turned onto her side. Opening her eyes lazily, she stretched her arm across the mattress to embrace Kenshin's bare shoulder.

When her fingers hit the cold metal of the hospital bed instead of warm skin, she shot up into a sitting position, her eyes searching frantically.

Then a wave of pain hit her and she fell back, her palms pressed to her forehead.

"Kenshin?" She rasped, as her eyes began to burn.

Her head started to pound and she clenched her teeth in pain. It felt as if electric shocks were racing across down every nerve ending in her body and as if her stomach was desperately trying to heave itself upward.

"Kenshin!" This time it was a shriek of pain.

Both Aoshi and Megumi came barreling through the door. Megumi rushed to Kaoru's beside. Panicked, she pressed her fingers to Kaoru's pulse point.

"Too fast," she said breathlessly.

"What is wrong with her?" Aoshi broke his usual silence as he watched Megumi try to grab Kaoru's shaking limbs and push her back into lying down.

"I don't know," Megumi snapped angrily.

"Stop it!" Kaoru arched suddenly, her eyes wide and unseeing and her body twisting violently.

Megumi struggled to hold her still. She glared at Aoshi over her shoulder. "You idiot," she yelled, "Help me, you stupid man."

Aoshi's face contorted in a rare show of anger as he moved forward to restrain Kaoru's tossing torso. "How could you let this happen?" He demanded accusingly. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"It's not my fault, you fool." Megumi snapped back, stepping back to pull out a syringe. She filled the syringe and tapped it to remove the air bubbles. "If you had just protected her when she was with us, none of this would ever have happened." She grasped Kaoru's forearm and injected the clear liquid. "It's your fault for not being strong enough to stop Battousai from…"

Megumi's angry voice trailed off into silence as Kaoru fell limp and unconscious. An awkward silence hung in the air between them. The doctor slowly let Kaoru's arm slip from her fingers and fall to the bed.

"Aoshi," she began, her voice quiet and strained, "I don't know what came over me." She stopped for a moment.

"I, as well," Aoshi said, filling the uncomfortable silence, "I do not know why I said such things. I apologize."

Megumi nodded, vaguely registering that Aoshi had left the room. She continued to stare at Kaoru, pursing her lips. The young girl's lips were still trembling slightly and her delicate brows were knit together in consternation. Megumi tenderly brushed a damp lock of hair from Kaoru's temple.

"Aoshi," the doctor said as she stepped from the room, "This can't be normal."

"It never has been." Aoshi straightened to his full height as he stepped away from the wall he'd been leaning against. His arms were tensely folded across his chest.

"If only we knew more," Megumi thought aloud, "I just have no idea what is causing this in her."

Aoshi closed his eyes, his face blank. "It stretches out, and ripples like the waves of the ocean." He paused and caught himself from swaying backward. "Its force is like the rage of a typhoon."

Instinctively, Megumi stretched out a hand to steady the suddenly pale man. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Aoshi opened his blue eyes. "Her aura," he stated, "That is how her aura feels."

Megumi could only frown.

**-d-b-**

"Let me get this straight." He took a long, lazy drag from the cigarette that dangled casually from between his white-gloved fingertips. "You don't _remember_."

"That's correct, sir."

"Hmph." He studied the orange glow at the burning end of his cigarette. He blew on it through his teeth and watched the white ash fly away. "And I thought it was just a rumor."

"What is, sir?"

Hajime Saitoh, captain of the police, turned his ginger-colored eyes on one of the newer additions to his police force – an addition he had certainly resisted. He smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth, a smile that would make almost anyone pee their pants. "Well, Kenshin Himura, I just don't know if I should tell you." Eyes narrowing, he ground the butt of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray. "And what exactly do you want again?"

Kenshin didn't blink. "I want permission to search for any police files that include my or Kamiya-san's name."

"Well," Saitoh said, inhaling with sarcastic patience, "I can see why it would benefit _your _memoryif you were to look up files on yourself – which, I might add, will probably yield nothing – but why on the girl?"

"I'm not sure."

Saitoh rolled his eyes.

"But I think we have some kind of connection." Kenshin did not flinch under Saitoh's stare; rather, he seemed to grow in stature under it.

"And if you do have a sort of _connection_," Saitoh drawled, his tone dripping with undisguised scorn, "Are you sure you want to discover what it is?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Have you ever thought that there might be a reason that you can't remember what you did?" Saitoh pulled another cigarette from the box on his desk. "You," he nearly spat, "might be better off not knowing."

"Why would you say that?" Kenshin's tone was cautious.

"You don't think I can see through your flimsy façade?" Saitoh snorted as he stood, slowly stalking around the desk. "If you were trying to hide your skill, you did a rather poor job of it. It's quite easy for me to tell you are trained in some form of martial arts. And quite well, at that."

"Why would my skills be of any relevance?" Kenshin frowned.

Saitoh flicked the ash from his newly lit cigarette. He spoke quietly, blowing smoke toward the ceiling. "You really have forgotten haven't you?" He smirked humorlessly. "You're quite fortunate to have lost the memory of that time," he said under his breath. Then, louder, "Very well, you have my permission. But, don't blame me when you regret it."

**-d-b-**

He was sitting on a park bench, watching the sun set. It was beautiful, he admitted to himself, all the pastel colours blending into each other. Suddenly, he bent over with his palm pressed onto his mouth. He coughed violently, his chest shaking.

Soujiro sat up and, wiping his hand on his handkerchief, struggled to breath.

"You've worked hard."

Soujiro smiled widely as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "I try."

"Just a little more is all I ask of you."

"Of course." His smiled brightened impossibly as he turned back to stare at the red in the sunset.

**-d-b-**

"Megumi," Kaoru struggled to keep her voice from trembling, "Please, Megumi." She felt very far away, as if she were reaching through a dense fog of pain.

"I don't know, Kaoru," Megumi said, her voice reluctant, "The drug isn't legal and if you are caught with it … I don't want you to draw attention to yourself."

"And dropping to the ground in convulsions won't draw attention?" Kaoru laughed weakly. "These episodes, I've never had so many in such a short period of time. I can't fight them, Megumi."

Megumi looked away. "This pill, Kaoru," she said quietly, "I developed it while I was still … working for Kanryu." She swallowed. "Nothing good can come of that time. Nothing I did then was for anyone's benefit."

She felt Kaoru's cold fingers close around hers. The younger woman drew her tense hand into her lap. She patted it reassuringly. "It's okay, Megumi."

"No, no it's not. We tested this drug on human subjects. And not all of them," she drew in a shaky breath, "reacted normally."

"You've given me this pill before."

"But only very rarely – never in the amounts you would need to keep these episodes at bay."

Kaoru squeezed Megumi's hand. "Please Megumi, I can't bear it. And every time they happen, I can hear you shouting. I can even hear _Aoshi _shouting."

"We'll stop-"

"It's not only that. I see … things." Kaoru shuddered involuntarily. For a moment, she was silent. Then, she looked up, her eyes pleading. "Please, Megumi."

The doctor took a deep breath. "I'll give you some, Kaoru. But you have to promise not to take more than one a day – and only if you wake up with the symptoms you've been having lately. The violent nausea, head pain and dizziness."

"I promise."

"And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I want you to tell me, Kaoru," Megumi said, "Why you did it."

"Did what?"

Megumi smiled sadly. "Why did you take away his memory? Why would you choose to be alone?"

"I'm not alone, Megumi."

The older woman cupped Kaoru's cheek in her palm. "And I'll always be here for you. But we both know that you and Kenshin, hateful as he was, had a connection like none other. So why, why would you do this to yourself?"

Kaoru's cheerful smile melted away into an empty expression. "I loved him," she said simply as tears filled her eyes. "And they were going to kill him. I made the choice to save him." Her expression remained emotionless, even as tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I can still see his eyes." Her voice grew distant. "I can still remember the moment when he forgot who I was." Kaoru paused, her facial muscles stiffening in resolve. "But he is alive and that is all that matters."

Megumi suddenly pulled her into herself, her own chest shaking. Kaoru looked over her friend's shoulder, the bitter tears stinging her eyes and burning paths of history down her face. Aoshi stared back at her from the doorway, his blue eyes unreadable.

Kaoru spoke to him over Megumi's shoulder, her voice steady despite her despair. "It's okay," she said, "I wanted to give him the chance to enjoy the peace he worked so hard for. It's okay."

Aoshi didn't need to tell her that she was trying to convince herself. He didn't need to say that she hadn't really wanted to give up her happiness for his, although she did it because she loved him. He didn't reveal that he knew that it wasn't okay, that it would never truly be okay.

But instead of telling her that he could see through her mask, he walked over to where she was staring impassively at him from over Megumi's shoulder. Without a word, he placed his hand on her head, his palm covering her forehead.

Kaoru closed her eyes.

**-d-b-**

They had been happy once.

_When he closed his eyes, he could still see their small house. It was crowded in between other houses and shadowed by the walls surrounding it but it had still been a happy home to him. They'd only had a small courtyard, not even any grass, but he'd always played amongst the potted plants that his mother loved to take care of. He'd play in the shadow of the west wall while his mother carefully sprayed the tropical fronds with her misting bottle. _

_And then, when the sun began to cast orange and purple hues across the sky, the door to their courtyard would scrape open and his father would step through. At that moment, Kenshin could see his mother's face light up. He remembered the strong hand that would pat his head as his father passed. _

But their happiness had been stolen away.

_Kenshin remembered the first event that had begun his small family's spiral downward. The screams had come from just outside their wooden courtyard door. From behind his mother's skirts, he had peered through the cracks between the door and its frame. He couldn't see anything but moving shadows, but he could _hear.

_And what he heard, he wished he hadn't._

_There were screams. It was one voice, screaming loud enough for many people. Oddly enough, the neighborhood suddenly seemed quieter than the grave._

_But his father, his brave, foolish father, had never once been able to stand by and watch injustice. So, Kenshin had watched his father swing the doors to darkness open and step outside. He watched, for the last time, as his father disappeared into the alley outside their home. _

_And then came the sickening sound of tearing flesh. Perhaps the screaming had stopped. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. He could never be sure, because his mother had pulled him back into the house and they had huddled themselves into a corner. _

_Then he had realized that he couldn't hear over his own screams. _

**-d-b-**

"Yahiko." Kaoru opened her eyes, a genuine smile stretching across her face. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's true, you old hag." A wickedly mischievous grin spread over the young boy's features. "Where've you been, ugly?"

She swatted playfully at his arm.

"You getting slow or what?"

She smiled slowly. Yahiko's grin dropped slightly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, shuffling closer.

"Of course."

The boy snorted, looking away.

"Brat." Kaoru's fingers snapped out to pinch his cheek.

"Ow, you old hag!" Yahiko cried out indignantly, slapping her hand away, "What was that for?"

"For looking miserable in a hospital. You'll depress the patient with that expression, young man."

"For your information, this is a _clinic_."

"Nitpicker." She dismissed the fact with a wave of her hand. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Just making sure you haven't got your sorry butt in too much trouble."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about trouble." Kaoru laughed with a wink. She sat up with a sigh. She stretched out her arms. "So, where are you living now, Yahiko?"

"Here, there and anywhere." He sat in the armchair beside her bed at stared at the wall. "I was wondering, actually, if I could come stay at your place for a bit."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. At her prolonged silence, Yahiko peered at her warily from the corner of his eye.

"This is Megumi's idea, isn't it?"

"Aoshi's, actually."

"Well, I can't blame them for worrying."

"No," Yahiko agreed with a mocking smirk, "You can't. You're just a walking accident."

Kaoru smacked him affectionately. "Where are they, anyway?"

"Downstairs. Waiting for your lazy behind to get in gear."

"Well, when do we go?"

"Now, would be good."

"Well, you little ingrate, help me up."

"Weakling."

"Delinquent."

Yahiko, despite his gruff insults, supported Kaoru's elbow firmly as she pushed herself off the bed. When her bare soles touched the cool tile, she nearly jumped.

"Careful, old hag." Yahiko steadied her. "You're getting weak in your old age."

"Thank you." She spoke sarcastically, ruffling his spiky hair.

"Ready?"

Kaoru nodded and, placing one hand on his short shoulder for support, they turned and headed for the door. She stopped abruptly. "My clothes."

"Oh, for the love of-"

"I'm not going to take the bus in this half-open night gown."

"Well I'm not going to make another trip-"

"I said, I'm not going to take the bus-"

"Don't worry."

Kaoru froze and Yahiko stiffened as they turned to face the owner of that unmistakable voice. Kenshin was standing a mere five feet away.

"You-" Yahiko began, "You promised that she would be-"

"Kenshin," Kaoru interrupted, digging her fingers into Yahiko's shoulder, "This is Yahiko, one of my … friends." She swallowed as Kenshin cocked an eyebrow at the boy, dipping in a courteous bow. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I'm sorry," he said, stepping forward, "I couldn't come until now. I've had some business to take care of."

"Business?" Yahiko asked testily.

Kenshin nodded and smiled. "A little investigative work." His gaze was steady on Kaoru's face.

"Investigative?"

Although he was answering the boy, Kenshin's eyes did not leave Kaoru's. "I'm a police officer, young man."

"You?" Yahiko erupted incredulously. "_You _are a police officer?"

"Yes, in fact I am." He suddenly seemed very close. "Kaoru?" He held out his hand.

She took a deep breath and took his hand, letting him guide her forward and toward him. There was something in his expression that was making her apprehensive. His smile was warm, but there was a guarded, unreadable look in his eyes that made Kaoru feel cornered.

Instead of immediately turning to walk her out into the hallway, Kenshin led her even closer to himself so that they were almost nose to nose. "I'll take you and Yahiko home," Kenshin offered in such a way that Kaoru knew it was not debatable.

So, she responded in the only fashion she could muster the strength for.

She nodded.

"Good," Kenshin said with a cheerful smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He leaned in, his breath heating her cheek. "And Kaoru," he said, "Once we get there, there are a few things I would like to ask you about."

Kaoru's mouth went dry.

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She wondered, as the blood rushed to her ears, if all that she had sacrificed had been in vain. Had she lain down her happiness, only to have the past rear its ugly head again?

He tucked her arm in his and gently began steer her out, Yahiko in tow.

_And all she could hear were her own screams. _


	4. interrogation

**Complete Me **

_Author's Notes: Yay for vacation! _

**Chapter 4: Interrogation**

_For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; _

_The more knowledge, the more grief._

_(Ecclesiastes 1:18) _

"So, how do you two know each other?"

And so began their careful, walk-on-eggshells, beat around the bush conversation.

"Well," Kaoru began slowly, shifting as quietly as she could in the leather passenger seat of Kenshin's car. She swallowed, her mind racing.

"Are you cousins? Or siblings?" Kenshin shifted gears and the car accelerated smoothly.

"Not really." Kaoru said cautiously as she rubbed the hem of her skirt between her fingers. "We met under strange circumstances, actually."

Glancing into the rearview mirror, Kenshin did not miss Yahiko's concentrated gaze which was locked on Kaoru's stiff expression. "Really?" His voice was contemplative.

"Mhm." Kaoru nodded. "We bumped into each other one day, quite literally actually, and we've been friends ever since."

"Is that so."

Kaoru's lips thinned as she studied Kenshin's cool profile from the corner of her eye. He was perfectly straight-faced, but since she already knew the significance of his deadpan expression, she could sense him weighing her words. She watched him think and watched his cool eyes flick to from the road to the rear-view mirror and back. She felt his hand move, felt the agile grace he exuded as he shifted gears.

And then, his eyes met hers.

Startled, Kaoru could only stare back at him.

"What?" She blurted, too stunned to exercise caution.

He raised an eyebrow and she could almost feel him dissecting her.

"You bumped into each other?"

"Yes." Kaoru's defenses went up. "What of it?"

The other brow lifted before Kenshin turned back to the road. "Just confirming something." His voice deepened and Yahiko could barely restrain himself from squirming.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you want to confirm?" She asked, her tone peppery with irritation.

"Just how much you trust me."

"What?"

He let his gaze slide to hers for a moment. "Don't insult me."

She reared back in her seat, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Don't insult me," he repeated, his tone cross, "If you don't want to trust me with the truth, that's your business. But don't lie to me."

Kaoru felt as if her ribcage was shrinking in her chest. Red flushed up her neck and into her cheeks as she fought to control her breathing. "Now, look here-"

"Hey Kenshin," Yahiko suddenly called from the backseat, "You can just let me off here."

Kenshin threw a glance over his shoulder. "Are you sure your parents won't mind if I don't take you all the way home?"

"Uh, yeah." Yahiko was already fumbling with the seatbelt. "I'm pretty sure they won't care. I need to … uh, buy something on the way home anyway."

Kenshin pulled the car to the curb and the locks popped up. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Kaoru spun in her seat to glare daggers at the boy. "Don't you dare leave me with-"

"Be careful on your way home, Yahiko."

"Uh, thanks. Bye, Kaoru." Yahiko mumbled as he slid out of the car and escaped.

"You said you would take me home!" Kaoru shouted after him just as the car door slammed shut.

The car locks snapped down.

"Don't worry," Kenshin said as he pulled away, "I'm taking you home now."

**-d-b-**

"Do you remember the first time I met you?"

"Of course."

Soujiro smiled. "I was living with my father at that time, wasn't I?"

"You lived with your father until you were twelve. Can you still remember him?"

The young man barely winced as the fine point of a needle was inserted into his skin. Slowly, his companion injected a clear liquid into his blood stream.

"He was," Soujiro's eyes drifted closed, "A very stern man. I can't remember seeing him smile. But he was a good man, I suppose. I never lacked food or shelter."

"Indeed. But then you came to live with me."

"I didn't understand then."

The syringe was pulled away and Soujiro felt the cool of antiseptic being brushed across the pin prick left behind.

"Well, I am neither kind nor good, as your father was. And you suffered greatly at first."

"I suppose." Soujiro opened his ocean blue eyes. "But I learned quickly, didn't I?"

"Yes, much quicker than I expected."

"It was only a matter of time before I discovered the truth."

"What truth is that, Soujiro?"

"That only the strong survive."

"And protecting the weak is a waste of time."

Suddenly, the boyish grin disappeared from Soujiro's face as he doubled over, trembling. "I am not weak."

**-d-b-**

"This is nice," Kenshin said politely as they stepped into the elevator.

Kaoru snorted, as she nervously toyed with her keys. The steel doors slid shut and the elevator began to rise with a complaining groan.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Awhile."

"Are your neighbours nice?"

"Nice enough."

"That's good."

"I know."

The elevator lurched to a noisy stop. They stepped out into the hallway. Kaoru fought to still her thumping heart as they began to trek toward her, at one time his and at another time their apartment.

"Do you think your parents will mind me taking you home?"

Kaoru stopped. She closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around her key. Kenshin's footsteps slowed to a halt beside her.

"Kaoru?"

"I don't live with my parents." She opened her eyes and took a step forward.

"Do you live alone?"

"Yes." Another step.

"Do your parents live in the city?"

"No."

They stopped. They were standing at the door.

"Do they mind that you live away from them? You seem a little young to be living all by yourself."

Kaoru turned the key in the lock. "My parents are dead." The door swung open.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't reply. Instead, she stepped into the apartment. "Thank you for taking me home." Her eyes downcast to avoid seeing the look on his face, she turned to close the door on him, to shut him away. She pushed the heavy door closed and let her body fall into the wood, pressing her cheek to the rough surface.

"It's a nice place."

She jumped away from the door to find that Kenshin was already five feet into the living room.

"Did you live here with your parents?"

"No." Kaoru stomped toward the kitchen, her tone clearly exasperated. "Is there something in particular you would like to know?" She asked, throwing her keys onto the counter and turning on the tap water to wash her hands.

"When did your parents pass away?"

Kaoru's hands stilled under the running water. "I'm sorry?"

"When did your parents pass away?"

Kaoru frowned and looked up at Kenshin, who simply stood in the centre of the apartment and stared at her. His eyes locked onto hers and dared her to lie to him.

"When I was nine." Kaoru shook the water from her fingertips and shut off the water. She turned away from his eyes and grabbed a dish towel. "Why do you want to know?"

She heard the creak of the floorboards as he moved closer to the counter.

"I read something interesting at the police station today."

"What does that have to do with my parents' death?"

"Well," Kenshin said slowly as reached the marble counter, "I was wondering if you knew what the files that I found had to say about your … family history."

The dish towel, which Kaoru was busy twisting between white knuckled fingers, was in grave danger of being stretched beyond repair. "I wouldn't know," she said, not daring to speak above a calm whisper.

Kenshin let one fingertip drag across the edge of the smooth marble as he paced the length of the counter and rounded the end of the only physical boundary between them. "Really," he said, entering the kitchenette, "That's quite surprising."

She chuckled dryly. "Is this some kind of interrogation?"

"In a way."

Kaoru hardened her expression and threw the towel onto the counter. She spun around to jab an angry finger into Kenshin's chest. But her heart nearly froze in her chest when she felt his rough fingers latch onto her wrist, stopping her hand in place.

Her wide, blue eyes snapped up to his face. He was looking down at her with a stern expression. Kaoru's heart leapt in apprehension. Ripping her wrist from his grip, she reached for his shirt and twisted her fingers into the fabric.

"What?" She pulled him closer. "What on earth are you trying to say?"

"Truthfully," he began, calmly detaching her fingers from his clothing, "When I first started to search police records for your name, I didn't find anything. But for some reason, when I searched for information on myself, the only thing I found was an old folder with your family name written on it."

Kaoru blanched and stepped away. She spun on her heel and walked away from him, waving a hand. "I still have no idea where you are going with this," she said flippantly.

Kenshin followed her into the foyer. "I wasn't sure of the connection myself," he said, his voice even, "until I thought about it." He stopped her flight by catching onto her upper arm and spinning her around. "The name on the file was Kojiro Kamiya. And, granted, Kamiya isn't the most unusual name in Kyoto but-"

"Kenshin," Kaoru said, her jaw clenched, "None of my relatives are named Kojiro. And besides, that file could've been misplaced. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with you."

"Perhaps, but Kojiro Kamiya's dependents were listed as Yuki Kamiya, his wife-"

"My mother's name _was _Yuki," Kaoru said, "But my father's name was Naohiro. The information doesn't even match."

"His wife, Yuki, who divorced him to marry a man named Naohiro had a daughter, one Kaoru Kamiya." He paused as he watched the blood drain from Kaoru's face. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I…" Kaoru faltered, raising one hand to massage her forehead, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Are you sure?"

"I said," Kaoru repeated, shoving him away indignantly, "That I don't know what that means."

"Well," Kenshin said, "In any case, you said that your parents died when you were nine, which is, incidentally, about nine years ago. But in the police file I read, Kojiro Kamiya was killed only five years ago."

"I don't even know who that is," Kaoru stepped back, "I don't know what this means or why you are bringing it up."

Kenshin studied her calmly, watching her eyes spark in defiance as she placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight. He wondered if she knew what else the file on Kojiro Kamiya had said. He wondered if she were hiding behind her anger or if she really didn't know. They stood like that for a long moment, each challenging the other.

Abruptly, Kenshin spun away from her and strode into the living area. He stopped by the fireplace and looked up.

"Those are beautiful swords, Kaoru."

He lifted a hand to run a fingertip down the length of the wooden scabbard.

"Don't touch them." Kaoru was suddenly behind him, her voice slightly shrill.

He turned to look down at her careful, resolute eyes. "Why not?"

Her facial muscles contracted. "Because."

"Because of what?"

"Because _no one _is allowed to touch those swords."

"I _have _studied the sword arts," he said, "You don't need to worry; I won't hurt myself."

She paused and then repeated, her voice cracking ever so slightly, "No one touches these swords. Never again."

"Again?"

Kaoru spun away suddenly. "Please," she said pleadingly, "Please, I think I need to take a nap. I'm not feeling so well"

"Why," he asked, pressing in, "Why won't you talk to me?"

"I need to rest." Kaoru shivered as caught her by the upper arm and turned her to face him.

"Tell me," he said softly, his finger tips resting lightly on the underside of her chin, "Are these your swords?"

She inhaled deeply and found that she couldn't lie to him, not when he was so close. "No," she said, her breath broken.

"Whose are they, then?"

Once again, she stepped out of his range. "It doesn't matter now. Please, Kenshin, _please _just go." She walked away from him toward the bedroom. "I need to take a nap. See you later." Praying fervently that he would just leave, she stepped into her room and gently pushed the door closed behind her. Kaoru leaned back against the door and slid down until she was sitting.

She waited, listening for his steps. She didn't hear them until he paused right outside her door. Then he moved away and she heard the front door open and close.

Then, dropping her head to her knees, Kaoru cried.

**-d-b-**

"He was found an hour ago by the motel cleaners." Saitoh puffed lazily at a cigarette, his face cold and unfeeling. "Seems that he's been dead less than five hours."

Kenshin stepped into the fetid room. Expressionless, he noted the blood-spattered walls, the mutilated corpse on the bed and, finally, the piece of paper impaled to the wall by a Japanese long sword.

Wordlessly, he padded over to the note and leaned in, squinting to read the scratched out characters in the low light. A deep frown etched itself into his features.

"Shinsaku Takasugi, minister of internal affairs," Saitoh read over the shorter man's shoulder, "has been found guilty of sheltering the weak, thereby diluting the strength of Kyoto, and conspiring to kidnap one of ours."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Signed, The Ten Swords."

"Have you heard of this group before?" Kenshin asked, spinning away from the paper and heading toward where the body lay.

"Yes," Saitoh replied.

"Then does the note make any sense to you?"

"Not really." He took a long drag from his cigarette. "But I do know that Takasugi was instrumental in the establishment of our new system of government in Kyoto."

"So whoever killed him isn't happy with Katsura's re-organization of the city."

Saitoh rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"Who do you think they accuse him of kidnapping?"

"I have an idea." The police captain also moved to study the body.

"Are you going to share that idea with me?" Kenshin asked testily.

"Not at the moment. I'll have to clear it with my superiors first." He stopped for a moment and flicked the ash from his cigarette. "In any case, I think it would be prudent for you to start carrying a sword, along with the standard firearm."

"Why?"

"You _are _skilled with a katana, are you not?"

"Yes. So?"

"Because this particular terrorist group is obsessed with the ways of the samurai. As you can see from this murder scene, they carry out assassinations with swords and other weapons from our past."

"I see." A taut silence filled the room, which stank of death. "Takasugi, Shinsaku." Kenshin breathed softly.

"Did you know him?"

"I don't know," Kenshin said honestly, "But he looks … familiar."

"Hm."

"His ankles have been broken. His knees, too. In fact, it looks like the bones of all his limbs were broken," Kenshin commented as he assessed the scene.

"But he died by decapitation," Saitoh continued, pointing the slim gap between the neck and shoulders, "And someone took the time to place the head by the neck. A message perhaps?"

"So this isn't a random crime."

"Highly unlikely."

Takasugi's body lay twisted on the blood-soaked sheets, his long limbs arranged at various angles to show where they had been fractured. His eyes were open and staring upward. Simultaneously, Kenshin and Saitoh looked up to stare at the ceiling.

There, painted in blood, were words that made Kenshin's blood run cold. Vaguely, as if detached from his own horrified shock, he wondered how the perpetrator had managed to scrawl out the characters on the yellowed ceiling. The blood must have run down his arm as he painted; it must have dripped onto this upturned face. Even if Kenshin had no idea what the words meant; even if he knew nothing of the organization that called itself The Strong, he recognized the threat in the words inscribed in blood.

"_We will find her." _

**-d-b-**

Kaoru was sitting at the edge of the dojo, inhaling the scent of freshly cleaned hardwood floors when the splitting headache assaulted her. She bent over and resisted the urge to retch. Blindly, she reached for her shoulder bag and dug through it, searching for the small container of pills Megumi had given her. She popped the cap gracelessly and fumbled to spill several into the palm. Throwing back her head, she tossed them back into her throat. She rolled into herself for several minutes while she waited for the painkillers to take effect. When she finally felt that she could breathe without shuddering, she unfolded her limbs and sat back with a loud sigh.

"How is it, Kaoru-san?"

"It could be worse," she answered, turning to Aoshi, who sat beside her. She nodded in the direction of the gradually dispersing students. "It would be better if I could get my mind off it."

"Well," Aoshi said, "You could wait until all the students have left. There are a few spare bokken on the far wall."

"Thanks." Kaoru stood, stretching. "I'd really appreciate it."

"I will go supervise Yahiko," Aoshi said, also standing, "He is being trained in kendo."

Kaoru smiled. "Thank you Aoshi."

He raised an eyebrow.

"He needs something to do," she elaborated, "And he's always wanted to learn martial arts. So, thank you."

The tall man's expression softened. "You should occupy yourself as well, Kaoru-san. The exercise would do you good."

"Hm." She smiled and headed for the far wall to pick out a bokken to practice with as Aoshi left the dojo as silently as he had entered.

When the ninja stepped into the cool courtyard, Yahiko was still viciously swinging his wooden practice sword. He could see the boy imagining his enemies in front of him.

"Stop," he commanded quietly as he approached the child, "Don't swing without control."

Yahiko paused in his wild swings to wipe the sweat from his brow with the edge of his sleeve. "What? I was controlling them."

"Show me."

Yahiko tightened his grip on the bokken and brought it down with heavy force.

"Stop," Aoshi said sharply and the boy froze in place.

"Don't only think of your arms when you swing," Aoshi said patiently, "You need to control all the muscles in your body. For instance, do you know the exact position of your foot at this moment?"

Yahiko's face crinkled in thought and then he slumped out of his frozen position. "No, I don't."

"A martial artist must always know where the parts of his body are, not to mention his weapons. That is why complete control is absolutely necessary." Aoshi paused and stiffened. "Wouldn't you agree, Kenshin Himura?"

Yahiko whirled around to see Kenshin standing between the gateposts, his cool eyes trained on Aoshi.

"Yes, I would."

"I didn't know that police officers carried swords."

"New policy," Kenshin replied. He watched as Yahiko's expression widened in horror as his eyes dropped to see the long sword hanging at his hip. He brushed aside the questions that immediately surfaced because of the boy's apparent fear. Instead, he leveled his gaze on Aoshi's cool face.

"Where is she?"

**-d-b-**

She was working hard at a complex kata, her arms and legs moving with exquisite precision. She was so concentrated that she didn't even notice his presence. He could smell the salt of her sweat as it shone on her skin. Her jaw was set and her eyes determined as she moved seamlessly from one movement to the next and he wondered how long she had studied the art of the sword.

Perhaps, he thought as he strode silently to the middle of the room, the well-used swords in her apartment were hers, despite her vehement denial.

Her back to him, she thrust her practice sword forward and then swung around in a horizontal strike. Without a second thought, Kenshin grabbed his own sword by the sheath and pulled it upward so that the wood connected with a resounding crack.

Startled, Kaoru froze. Her eyes did not leave the sight of his hand on the sheath of his sword. Her heart began to beat against her ribs and her eyes started to sting painfully.

_After everything … _

"Kaoru?"

The sound of his voice brought on a sudden wave of anger and her fingers tightened around the wooden sword.

_After everything I've done … _

Angry blue eyes shot to his face, her features clenched in rage. "Why?" Her voice was quiet, and laboured with all the things she couldn't tell him.

He frowned down at her as he automatically compensated for the force she was suddenly exerting against the sheath of his sword. She stepped back suddenly, sliding her sword away. The smooth wood surfaces glided against each other as she pulled back, her anger tangible in the air.

"That sword." She punctuated the word with high-pitched intonation.

"The police captain recommended I carry one."

"Why?" She spat the question.

"Because a new group of criminals is using swords." He regarded her angry countenance critically. "Besides, you have two swords in your apartment and you've just shown that you are acquainted with the art. I don't see what the problem is."

Kaoru was immediately and irrationally filled with a rabid fury that spread from her chest to every extremity in her body. With a sudden yell, she lunged forward and swung at him with all her might. Hardly surprised, Kenshin parried easily, knocking her bokken away with a dry chuckle. But Kaoru didn't even pause in her attack. Now silently infuriated, she pivoted slightly and sliced at him viciously. Kenshin swiftly pulled his sheathed sword from his belt, and blocked her downward strike. Kaoru dropped into a crouch and spin kicked, aiming to sweep his legs out from under him. Kenshin jumped backward to avoid it, and then swung his sword upward to counter Kaoru's next move. She was drawing him into a small battle, and he sensed that it was more than just friendly sparring. Her strikes were aimed not to disarm him, but to disable him. He knew, through the splintering force with which she attacked him, that she was targeting his limbs and solar plexus. She was trying to render him incapable of fighting by breaking his bones or knocking the air from his lungs. Kenshin accepted the challenge readily and was distantly surprised, though not threatened, by her level of skill.

Then, through the flurry of attacks, Kenshin noticed something that almost caused him to allow himself to be hit.

Kaoru was crying.

She timed devastating attacks with grit teeth and resolute eyes. But tears were silently streaming down her cheeks and dripping from her chin. In that moment, Kenshin decided that he'd had quite enough.

As Kenshin lifted his sword horizontally to block one of her ferocious downward strikes, he slid the blade free of the scabbard. The smooth wood connected with steel and fell in useless pieces at her feet.

She stopped, her chest heaving. He didn't wait for her to begin hand-to-hand combat. His own sword clattered to the floor as he stepped forward and pulled her into his chest, his arms as unyielding as bands of steel.

"Why are you crying?" His lips were pressed against her ear.

"Let me go." Her shuddering intake of breath betrayed her, even though her voice was cool.

"Tell me." He only wound his arms tighter.

"I can't!" Her cry was anguished.

Kenshin released her body only long enough to catch her face between his calloused hands. "Kaoru." He thumbed away the tears trekking down her smooth face. "You can tell me."

Her fingers found their way to his wrists and she tried to pull his hands away. "I can't."

"You can." His tone was stern as he lowered his forehead to hers. "And you will."

To say that Kaoru wasn't tempted to spill all the secrets about their past would be lie. She desperately wanted to tell him everything, to share their history. As her heart twisted in agonizing indecision, she imagined being protected by him again, being with someone who understood her life. But then, she could also picture the look of absolute horror when this new and perfect Kenshin discovered her tainted past – her dirtied hands and her unforgivable sins. Then to find out she had lied to him about their relationship. He would hate her, she knew it.

And so, Kaoru tore herself away from the hope of his embrace. "I can't," she said spinning away, "And I won't."

He was silent behind her and she bit down hard on her fist. "I'm sorry." The words left her lips against her will.

"I investigated a murder scene today." His voice was quiet and cool, a sharp contrast to just minutes before. "It took place in a motel a few blocks from where you live."

"The one near the train station?"

"You know it?"

Kaoru nearly smiled as she dropped her arms so that they hung at her sides. How could she forget that motel? Though dingy and dirty, it had been the place where she had spent her last happy moments with Kenshin.

"Yes." She paused. "Who was murdered there?"

"His name was Shinsaku Takasugi-"

"Takasugi?" Kaoru whirled around to face him, "Did you say Takasugi?"

"You know him?" Shock was written all over Kenshin's face.

"Takasugi is dead? How?"

Kenshin took a step forward. "What do you know?" He demanded.

She wasn't listening to his question. "Who killed him?" She looked away, one hand covering her mouth. "Who would want him dead?"

"Kaoru." Kenshin took her by the shoulders. "How did you know that name?"

"I can't believe this."

"What do you _know_?" Kenshin shook her.

Her wide blue eyes met his and for the first time they were unguarded. "Don't get involved, Kenshin," she said, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him close, "Please don't get involved in this."

Kaoru watched as Kenshin's face changed. His eyebrows drew inward, the corners of his lips turned down and suspicion crept into his eyes.

"Kaoru," he began slowly, "Why shouldn't I get involved?"

"Because," she said helplessly, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Why would I get hurt?" The policeman in Kenshin had emerged and was interrogating her.

"Because it's dangerous."

"I've already told you that I have spent years training with the sword and in combat. Why are you so worried? Is there something you should tell me, Kaoru?"

Now, it was Kenshin's turn to watch Kaoru's face change. She paled, the blood drained from her face and suddenly, the brave young woman could not meet his eyes.

"Kenshin," she said, and there was a tone in her voice that he had never heard before, "When you found Takasugi – and yes, I knew him – what did it look like?"

"I don't think-"

"Was he killed by a sword?" Kaoru interrupted, her voice detached, "Were any of his bones broken? Had he been tortured?"

"Kaoru," he asked, his grip on her shoulders tightening, "How do you know this?"

It took a while for her to work her eyes up to his. "It doesn't matter, Kenshin. All I know is that there are people in this world who will do anything to get what they want. And they will kill, torture or maim anyone who gets in their way. I don't want you to get involved."

"Do you know who did this, Kaoru?" He pressed in close so that she could not tear her eyes away.

"No," she replied frankly.

"Do you know why they did this?"

She shook her head.

"Kaoru," he said, drawing his palms up her slim neck, "I can't help but feel that you are hiding something from me."

"I knew Takasugi," she said, unblinking, "He had his faults but he was a good man. And he was … kind to me." A wry, unhappy smile worked its way to her lips. "When I knew him, he was fighting for a cause he believed in. It was a good cause, but his methods were brutal-"

"Are you defending the killers, Kaoru?" Kenshin stopped his tone from sounding accusatory, but the thoughts would not stop turning in his mind.

"My Kenshin," Kaoru smiled sadly and stepped close to him, running her fingertips across his cheekbones, "That's not what I meant. I don't know who the killers were or what they are fighting for." She leaned in further and when she spoke next, her lips were almost touching his. "But what will _you _do when you find these men, Kenshin?"

"I will bring them to justice."

"And if they refuse to go with you?"

"I will make them." Kenshin suddenly felt as if she were the one conducting the interrogation.

She was close now, so close that the heat from their bodies mingled. "Don't you see," she said in a whisper, "If you get involved, you will become like them – you will fight like them, you will kill like them." She backed away suddenly and Kenshin immediately missed her warmth. "And that _thing_," she said contemptuously, pointing at the sword that lay a few feet away, "Nothing good can come from that thing."

"This is the reason I came to Kyoto," he said calmly, "To protect the peace by any means possible."

He watched as that same, sad defeated smile crept onto her face.

"I know," she said, walking past him toward the door, which was bright rectangle of light in the dim dojo, "You would make war to protect the peace."

She paused by the entrance, and looked over her shoulder at him, her body a grey silhouette. All Kenshin could see was a set of blue eyes, made luminous by tears.

"And you will wield your sword, Kenshin, and many will die by your hand." Her breathing hitched ever so slightly. "And afterward, when your hands are dirty with the blood of criminals, you will regret it."

And then Kaoru turned and left Kenshin in the dark.


	5. new descent

**Complete Me **

* * *

_Rating:_ T for angst, some gore and dark situations

_Summary_: AU, sequel to Broken Pieces All Kaoru wants to do is forget the past and move on with her life. But when Kenshin becomes involved in an investigation that will unearth their forgotten history, they find themselves unwillingly drawn into a bloody power struggle.

_Author's Notes:_ **Oh yeah, I've decided to focus solely on this story and finish it before continuing with all the other ideas in my head. That being said, I still like to write little snippets from other stories. So if you want to read them, I will be posting them on my livejournal (see link on my profile or remove spaces from l-i-n-a-y . livejournal . com) **What? I updated this? No way. I hope you like it. I reread the whole story and I must say that I am not particularly happy with chapter 2 but I will forge onward rather that go back and edit. Read on.

* * *

**Chapter 5: New Descent**

Peace begets prosperity;

Prosperity begets pride;

Pride begets prejudice;

Prejudice begets war;

War begets poverty;

Poverty begets peace.

_- Anonymous_

Its scent was unmistakable. Distinct and yet subtle, he could smell it everywhere he went in the city. It wafted in with the quiet whispers that passed under closed doors. It rose like a faint perfume whenever he observed the shifting eyes of a local shop keep or the rushed steps of a woman herding her children across the street.

Kenshin waited at a busy intersection and inhaled the odor of fear.

The light turned green and he started to walk across, his keen eyes taking note of the understated bustle of the crowd as they tried to go about their business without making eye contact with anyone else. It was apparent to him that the people of Tokyo had not yet forgotten the raids or the lingering effects of an almost-civil war. The grey city was just crawling out of poverty, its crumbling concrete buildings slowly being replaced by more solid houses and businesses. He had heard that before the Choshu takeover, Tokyo had been the stronghold of organized crime. Purging Tokyo of crime bosses and gang violence had been a long process that had involved heavy policing. But, Kenshin reflected, it had been done. The police captain, Saitoh, had fully explained how his force had stormed every dark corner to flush out the criminals with his own brand of swift justice. And yet, the apprehensive fragrance of dread and suspicion was heavy in the smoggy air, evident in furtive glances and ineffectively concealed weapons.

His eye caught a sudden flash color and his gaze was immediately drawn to the vivid blue sash that held a child's hair up in a ponytail. He couldn't help but think back to his last interaction with Kaoru in the dojo. After that tear-filled, emotionally charged sparring match, she'd walked out on him. When he'd finally collected his wits, he'd rushed out into the courtyard, only to be met with the spiky-haired boys glare. Yahiko hadn't said a word, even when Kenshin had demanded to know where Kaoru had disappeared to, but the anger in his chocolate eyes had spoken loud enough. He'd glared and then spun on his heel, stomping off. The tall man, Aoshi, had been nowhere in sight.

And so, Kenshin had done the only thing he could think of. He'd returned to the police station to work - which he now regretted. The stern captain had called him out almost as soon as he'd arrived. In a cantankerous tone, Saitoh had announced that their unit was being transferred to Tokyo. He'd been gruffly handed a sheaf of papers and told to leave immediately to scout out the area. Stunned, Kenshin had asked why – only to be told that they were now in charge of the new witness security program. After a long shocked silence, Saitoh had grudgingly shared that the government had requested that several key witnesses and sources on the Ten Swords militant group were to be protected in case of a trial.

Kenshin wondered why they had chosen to hide their first protégé in this particular city. It wasn't by any account a welcoming community and it couldn't be considered safe by the most liberal of standards. He absently rubbed the end of the lacquer scabbard of the short sword that lay concealed against his back under his leather jacket. He only had a day left to scout out the area around the housing that had been arranged for the woman who would be arriving by private jet before dawn. With a barely perceptible sigh, he turned another corner to investigate the ins and outs of a nearby alley.

He still couldn't shake the feeling of regret regarding the way that he and Kaoru had parted ways. Even though she had not returned his phone messages, he wasn't completely willing to give up on their budding relationship, tumultuous as it was. It had only taken him three hours to get to Tokyo on the bullet train; perhaps he could commute back and forth to see her every once and a while. Again, he recalled her tear-streaked expression and felt a pang in his chest. He wondered what she was doing and if she was alright.

* * *

She was leaving. It would be better that way. She glanced at the small hand that lay near hers on the arm rest. To be precise, were leaving. She had demanded that Yahiko be allowed to accompany her – not only because she didn't want to go alone, but because she couldn't help worrying for him. He'd protested like the cocky kid he was, but eventually agreed – partly because of some persuasion from Megumi and Aoshi, who had not even been allowed to see her off.

Kaoru closed her eyes and settled back against the headrest. She'd heard from Katsura. It had almost been unreal – she'd picked up the phone and heard his elegant voice again, asking her about her health and her job as if he were an old family acquaintance. But before she'd recovered from her initial shock, Katsura had cut off her questions with a simple command: Leave Kyoto. She'd been astounded and then angry, demanding how he could expect her to pick up and leave now that she'd finally found peace. He had laughed in response and it had been the sound of a man being pushed too far. Then he'd described the way that Takasugi had died. Kaoru found herself crying as she listened to his carefully controlled anguish. And when Katsura offered to take Kenshin off that particular murder case in return for her cooperation, she found that she couldn't refuse. So, she had packed her meager belongings, taking care to stow his worn swords in her baggage.

Sighing and turning to look out the airplane window, she wondered if Kenshin had already noticed her absence. She wondered if he missed her. Rubbing her temples, Kaoru shook the thoughts from her mind. It didn't matter.

As they descended from the sky in the half-light right before dawn, Kaoru pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the window and stared. Grey mists rose above the grey coastline of a grey city. She sighed and turned away. She'd been sleeping fitfully when the change in cabin pressure had alerted her to their impending landing. A few minutes later, she could make out the landscape in miniature – a diorama dotted with toy houses and tiny cars. She felt Yahiko stir in the seat beside her. He rubbed his eyes groggily and sat up in his seat.

"Are we there yet?"

Kaoru leaned back in her seat to give him room to see out the small oval window. The city seemed much larger already. Yahiko was nearly climbing over her, his fingers pressed to the pane. She heard him expel an awed breath and caught herself smiling.

"First time in a plane, huh, kid?"

"Shut up, you hag." He didn't even look at her as he snorted, his eyes glued to the city below.

A cold, unfeeling voice came from behind them both. "Sit down, kid."

Kaoru was only slightly surprised when Yahiko complied without comment. He obediently sat back into his seat and buckled his seat belt. The two paused to exchange raised eyebrows. The man sitting directly behind them was positively _scary _and neither of the two wanted to provoke a fight, let alone conversation. The man was unreasonably tall but unlike Aoshi who was practically unreadable, he exuded hostility.

"Now there's one policeman I would _never _run to for help," Yahiko muttered under his breath.

"Shut up," Kaoru hissed, pinching his arm.

Behind them, their escort glowered and puffed on a cigarette, completely disregarding airline policy. Kaoru seriously doubted that any flight attendant or pilot would have the gall to challenge him anyway.

Then the small plane lurched and Kaoru held her breath as the wheels hit the tarmac.

Kenshin walked out of the airport terminal and onto the landing strip where the small, unmarked private jet had just slowed to a stop. He was dressed in civilian clothes, opting for a black, fitted hip-length leather jacket over black dress pants. The outfit seemed to match the somber atmosphere of the bleak city. He strode out confidently, conscious of the hidden weapon strapped tightly to his lower back. It was only a dagger, but his long sword was safely stowed on the driver's side of his two-door sports car.

He could already see the baggage crew begin hauling a few ratty suitcases from the cargo hold. As he approached the small jet, the door was pushed open to reveal a short flight of stairs. First, a tall figure ducked out of the small hatch. It was Saitoh. He didn't bother to wave or call out, but simply sauntered down the steps with a half-smoked cigarette hanging brazenly from the corner of his lips.

Then, two smaller figures emerged. They tottered down the steps. The woman was obviously directing a choice comment to the captain of police, who was calmly ignoring her in favor of locking eyes with his subordinate. The child at the woman's side was desperately tugging on her shirt, trying to get her attention.

"Himura," Saitoh finally grunted as he neared, "This is Kaoru, your protégé for the time being. I hope everything is in order."

At the woman turned to see him walk up, her face a picture of frozen shock, he carefully schooled his own expression to express nothing. They stared at each other for a full moment before Saitoh cleared his throat loudly.

"Now why do I think introductions will be unnecessary?" He smirked at their apparent discomfort. "I'll be back in a week." Without another word, Saitoh turned and climbed the stairs nonchalantly. "Play nice, kids."

Kaoru's head swam and felt that the only thing that kept her from floating away into the sky was the feel of Yahiko's fingers tightly laced around hers. It was a rare occurrence and she was distantly aware that she must be gripping his hand with painful intensity. She closed her eyes and took several deep cleansing breaths.

When she opened her eyes, Kenshin was still staring at her, his eyes guarded.

"Hello," she ventured.

"Hello."

There was another long, awkward pause. Kaoru coughed into her fist as Yahiko shifted uneasily beside her. She felt very, very light.

"So, you are enrolled in the Witness Security Program."

She looked down and nodded.

"Well," he said, as if they had never met before, "Come this way."

He turned and began to walk away. Kaoru turned to grab her luggage.

"Leave it," Kenshin said without turning.

"No," Kaoru answered, setting her chin defiantly, "I need it."

His shoulder blades moved as he shrugged without slackening his pace, and Kaoru did not miss the way that the leather moved over the dagger fastened to his back. Her head began to pound as her fingers fumbled to find her suitcase's handle.

"Hey," she heard Yahiko shout suddenly on her behalf, "Wait up!"

She stilled and snuck a glance Kenshin's way. He had paused in his clipped gait to cast a glance at them. In the span of a heartbeat, Kaoru hastily looked away and, tugging on her baggage, began to shuffle after him with her eyes trained on the heels of his shoes.

In that moment, his eyes had not been the dark, almost purple color she'd grown accustomed to in the past few weeks. His irises had been such a light brown that his intense gaze was golden.

* * *

Somehow, Kenshin had returned to his senses during their silent drive into the city. After parking the car, he'd brushed off Kaoru's attempts to carry her own suitcase. He walked beside the woman and child as they headed toward their new home, carrying her suitcase easily with one hand. But as they rounded the corner of a small house and trudged down the concrete steps to the door to her basement suite, Kaoru made every attempt to avoid eye contact.

"So," he said, his voice regaining some of its usual pleasantness as he opened the door and ushered them in, "This is it. It may seem a bit dark, but I'm sure it will be comfortable."

He watched Kaoru take a quick look around the space. There were only a few windows, which were small and high up, but it was clean and well-furnished with a couple of cushy couches in front of a small television in the living room. There was a tiny kitchen in the corner and a small round table and chairs off to one side. Kaoru walked toward a short hall, her steps halting.

"There are two very small bedrooms," Kenshin filled in as she pushed open the door to each, "And one bathroom." He watched as she wandered back out into the main room. "I'm sorry it's not as big as your last place."

"Who lives upstairs?" She asked, stopping in front of a low shelf and running a finger over its dusty surface.

"I do."

He could see that she had avoided spinning around to stare at him by the way she jerked suddenly, pressing her knuckles into the wood of the shelf.

"I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but those are the directives of the Witness Security Program. I will be your Marshall, responsible for your safety until I am told otherwise."

"And Yahiko?" Her voice was merely a whisper.

"He is not enrolled in the program, but I am sure he will be fine."

They weren't aware of how hushed their tones had become until Yahiko barreled back into the living room.

"I want the room at the end!" He said, trying unsuccessfully to cover his excitement at having his own room.

Kaoru turned around and gave him a strained smile. "Sure, kid."

She barely heard what he said as he dragged his small duffel bag into his new room.

"So," Kenshin asked quietly, "Are you his sister? Or his mother?"

Kaoru snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "His mother? Oh please."

"Sister?"

"No way."

"Then why is he with you?"

Kaoru sighed and stared at the carpet. "He's just really special to me. That's all."

"Do you think it was wise to drag him away from his family and into a dangerous situation?"

She looked up toward one of the small windows. "He doesn't have a family." She pulled on the loose strings at her sleeve. "He's an orphan and I didn't want to leave him alone."

"I see."

Kaoru held her breath as Kenshin stepped toward her. But instead of pausing, he walked right past her.

"Please unpack," he told her in a business-like tone, "And then come upstairs." He motioned toward a set of stairs she hadn't noticed before. "These steps lead to the main floor." He opened the door and stepped over the threshold. "There are a few things we need to discuss," he said, "And I will expect you within the hour."

The door closed before she could respond.

* * *

He paced the kitchen, waiting for her. Several sheets of police paperwork were spread across the kitchen island. He had moved into the main floor of the house days ago and had already stocked up on groceries and other supplies.

He stopped and faced the door to the basement as he heard the stairs creak. The door opened slightly as Kaoru gingerly stepped into his kitchen. Still managing to avoid looking him in the face, she turned to shut the door.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." It was all falsely cordial.

She perched on one of the bar stools and gratefully accepted a steaming mug of hot tea, cradling it with both hands and staring at her reflection in the green liquid.

"So," Kenshin began, pushing a piece of paper across the table top, "This is your new name. Since it would best if you kept the same first name and initials, we've chosen to rename you Kaoru Kitagawa for the moment. Yahiko will take the same family name."

Kaoru nodded, her eyes scanning the document.

"And here is a list of potential job opportunities," he continued, "But you will receive a monthly stipend for awhile. We tried to find some work that would be similar to what you're used to."

Again, she nodded. Then she sipped from her mug. "Thank you."

"It's my job."

She set her cup down. "Is that all?" She asked, not daring to look up.

"No."

She lifted the cup again and pretended to take a long drink from the near-boiling tea. She watched from the corner of her eye as he deliberately put down his own mug and stepped around the kitchen island.

"Kaoru."

She lifted the tea cup higher, swallowing and letting the liquid burn her tongue. Then, she felt his fingers on hers as he gently pulled her cup away and set it down on the table.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only found out a couple days ago." She stared at the collar of his shirt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," his voice came harshly, his breath on her forehead, "Just explain the situation to me clearly."

"Is that also part of your job?"

She gasped as he caught her face with both hands, pulling so that she was forced to meet his eyes.

"Don't pretend this isn't personal, Kaoru."

"Look, Kenshin," she said, fighting the urge to look away, "You're not here for me. You're here because you're assigned to protect me. Maybe it would be better if we just left it at that. It's already complicated enough as it is."

His expression darkened and he leaned in closer, the tip of his nose even with hers. "How can you say it like that?"

"Because that's the way it is, isn't it? I trust that you are capable of protecting me – shouldn't we be professional about this?"

He studied her face for a long moment, searching her pleading blue eyes. "I don't believe you."

His fingers shifted against her face, one hand sinking into her hair and cradling the nape of her neck. For a brief moment, Kaoru thought he would kiss her. But then he pulled away, gently dragging one thick lock of her hair through his fingers as he did.

"If that's the way you want it to be, Kaoru," he said, lips tight.

She slid from her stool. "It's better, Kenshin, for everyone." Biting her lip, she turned and headed downstairs, conscious of his eyes on her back as she left him standing in the kitchen.

* * *

Kaoru walked through the shadowed streets, a pen thoughtfully tapping against the corner of her mouth. She'd been scouring the city in search of a job, scratching off the names of businesses from the list that Kenshin had given her a few days ago. The first place she had visited had been the city library. But the head librarian had been a tad too touchy feeling for her liking, his smooth fingers lingering on hers a bit too long after a loose handshake and his eyes roving a little too low while he spoke. So, giving up on the idea of returning to a world of books, Kaoru had gone for interviews at second-hand book shops, restaurants and retail stores. Although several places had expressed interest in hiring her, none of them had felt just right.

Perhaps, she thought to herself as she glanced around, it was the constant darkness that covered the city – whether it be day or night. The people seemed harried and worried; almost no one seemed to walk with their head up. The city smelled dank and the shadows of ruined buildings cast strange patterns on the few open spaces there were. She wondered why Tokyo was so different that Kyoto. What could have possibly happened here?

It probably wasn't helping that Kaoru could feel Kenshin trailing her. She hadn't yet caught a glimpse of his rust-colored hair but she didn't have the confidence to really look either. But she knew he was there. She could practically feel his eyes watching her every move, analyzing her next steps.

She paused suddenly and looked up. Above her was a bright neon sign, boldly announcing the name of the small corner shop. The flashy sign was a stark contrast to the dim interior protected by thick iron bars on all the windows. Shrugging, Kaoru checked the name against the one on her list and then bravely pulled open the glass door.

The tinkling of bells accompanied her entry and a wizened old lady, who seemed unreasonably small behind the check out counter, greeting Kaoru with a narrow smile. The small convenience store seemed overly crowded with wire shelving packed with junk food, bulky refrigerators filled with drinks and alcohol and a grey linoleum floor that must have been white once. Her wyes wandered back to the old woman, who was waiting with an expectant smile.

"Um," Kaoru said, stepping closer, "I'm here about the job ad?"

"Oh yes, I'm Kyoko Takemura – the store manager," the woman's face collapsed into wrinkles as she grinned toothlessly, "Thank you for coming. Would you like a tour?"

"Well," Kaoru said, shifting her shoulder bag, "Don't you want to interview me first?"

"Perhaps we could let you work for a week as a trial, instead," the woman said, coming around the counter, "I get so few decent-looking applicants as it is."

Kaoru shrugged and followed Kyoko as she wove around the narrow aisles, listening as she enumerated all the different products. She fought the urge to sigh as Kyoko laughed about the popularity of an anime themed candy bar. From university librarian to convenience store clerk, Kaoru thought to herself. She supposed it could be much, much worse. At least the manager wasn't a lecherous old man, she thought, as she settled in for an afternoon of stocking shelves and working the cash register.

* * *

Yahiko raced up the steps to the main floor and flung the door open. His padded feet pounded across the kitchen linoleum only to slide to a sudden halt. His eyes were fixed on the sword point at his sternum.

"Yahiko, what are you doing?" It was Kenshin's voice, rough from sleep.

The sword point was immediately withdrawn and in the darkness, Yahiko heard the blade slide into its scabbard.

"Kenshin," he panted, "She won't stop."

"What?"

The boy was breathing heavily and Kenshin could see the whites of his eyes. "Something is wrong," he fussed, his fists clenching and unclenching, "With Kaoru. Something is wrong with Kaoru."

Before he could utter another word, Kenshin flew past the boy and down the steps into the basement suite. Without hesitating, he rushed into Kaoru's room. Dressed only in flannel pajama pants, Kenshin dropped his sword and crouched by her bedside. The girl was thrashing wildly in her sleep, her mouth opening and closing in silent screams.

"How long?" He asked of the boy who had just skidded to a stop beside him.

"I don't know," Yahiko said hurriedly, "I ran up as soon as I saw her."

"Has it happened before?"

"I don't know."

Kenshin grabbed one of her flailing limbs and she arched up from the bed, her other arm flashing toward him. He caught her stone hard fist and rose above the bed to push both her arms into the twin mattress. Kaoru continued to buck under him, her legs blindly kicking air.

"Get me a glass of water," he ordered, his eyes trained on her contorted face.

He waited until the boy rushed out. Then, he grit his teeth and let go of one of her arms to deliver a sharp slap to her cheek. It only served to make her thrashing more wild.

"Kaoru," he said through clenched teeth, "Kaoru wake up!"

Kenshin grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard, lifting her torso from the bed just as Yahiko returned with the water.

"What are you doing?" The boy nearly shrieked, dropping the glass and attacking the older man's shoulders with his fists.

"Back off!" Kenshin shoved Yahiko back harshly with one hand. Then he gathered the girl into his chest, his arms binding her close to him. "Kaoru," he crooned in her ear, "Kaoru." He pressed her head into the crook of his neck.

Slowly, Kaoru began to relax against his body, her rigid muscles releasing their tension. When she lay completely limp in his arms, he gently lowered her onto the mattress.

"Is she sick?" He didn't look away from her face as asked the boy who was picking himself up from the floor.

"Not that I know," Yahiko replied gruffly, bending to pick up the glass he had dropped.

Kenshin stood and turned, easily lifting Kaoru's form to his chest. He paused only to reach for his sword. Yahiko stepped into the centre of the doorway, blocking his path.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Taking her upstairs where I can keep an eye on her."

"No."

"Please get out of the way."

Yahiko paused before stepping sideways. He glared up at Kenshin. "If you hurt her, I will _kill _you."

"Understood."

Kenshin carried Kaoru through the home, stopping at his own bedside to gently put her down. He tucked the blankets up around her chin and settled in beside her, carefully easing his body onto the mattress. He lay on his side, above the covers, his tawny eyes watching her now placid face. Gently, he stroked her cheekbone with a knuckle, and without thinking, he planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. Then he leaned back and tried to sleep.

* * *

Kaoru drifted into the waking world slowly. With a slight smile, she inhaled deeply. The musky scent of cedar filled her senses and she snuggled closer to the source. Somehow, she had kicked off all the blankets in her sleep and now she felt the chill of morning. She suppressed a shiver. Since there seemed to be a warm presence on the bed beside her, Kenshin must not yet have gotten up to cook breakfast. A rare gift, she thought as she hooked one of her legs around his and threw an arm across his bare chest. She pulled herself closer to him and buried her face into his shoulder, sighing. How she loved his smell. Her fingers trailed along the taut muscles of his arm, up his collar bone and through his thick hair.

"Kenshin," she breathed as she levered herself up onto him. She gently began to tenderly kiss the line of his jaw until she reached his temple.

"Kaoru?"

She sighed into his hair and sleepily pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "Yes, Kenshin?"

"What…"

The voice trailed off as her fingers smoothed their way across the relief of his toned chest and abdomen. Distantly, Kaoru thought there was a strange tone to his voice this morning. She pushed herself up with her hips straddling his and her hands pressed to his shoulders, and blinked her drowsy eyes open.

Her eyes lovingly focused on his tan skin, his warm honey eyes and the red shock of hair spilling over the pillow. She smiled at him.

And then blinked.

Slowly, her eyes were drawn to the dated pillowcase pattern and then up to the flaking paint on the wall. Where was the mahogany headboard that she'd grown used to? Where were the down pillows in pristine white linen?

It dawned on her suddenly just as she heard his shaky voice speak her name again. Horrified, she scooted back across the double mattress as fast as she could. Kenshin, the _new _Kenshin, slowly propped himself up on his elbows. She inched back as far as she could without falling off the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered, tugging her over-sized t-shirt as far down as she could, "I don't know-"

She was cut off by his voice, low and intense. "You," he said, his eyes piercing, "You called me by name."

She met his furrowed stare and giggled insanely. "Of course, I know your name."

"No." He was on his knees on the mattress, crawling toward her slowly. "You were kissing me, and you were calling me by my _name_."

"So?" She shifted backward, her eyes darting toward the door.

"Kaoru," he asked in a voice so low it rumbled in his chest, reaching out a hand, "Did you _know me_ before I lost my memories? You must have been-"

Kaoru's heart leapt into her throat and she backed up even further. With a yelp, she tumbled backward toward the floor – only to find herself caught in the circle of Kenshin's naked arms, his eyes hard on hers.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Blood rushed to her head and she wiggled furiously out of his grasp, tumbling to the floor in a heap of blankets. Mumbling apologies incoherently, she jumped up and rushed for the door to the basement. She had just managed to pull the door open a crack when it was forcefully slammed shut in front of her.

"Please," she whispered, her knuckles white on the knob as she pulled on it fruitlessly.

Kenshin hovered behind her, his palm flat against the wood near her head from when he had slammed the door closed before her.

"Kenshin, I…" She fumbled for words, still struggling to escape to the basement.

The pressure on the door lapsed for a moment and Kaoru was able to pull it open slightly just before she was spun around and pinned back by her shoulders. Kenshin, his fingers tightly gripping her upper arms, was bent over her with every facial muscle straining under his skin.

"You knew me then, didn't you?" His voice rose in pitch and he shook her sharply. "How did we know each other? Were we …" He paused, searching her face, "Were we lovers?"

Kaoru swallowed, her gaze dropping to his chin. She pressed her lips together tightly and refused to look up, even when he cupped the underside of her chin and lifted her face to his.

"I need to know," he said roughly, "Tell me, Kaoru." His thumb moved over her hard-set lips. "Now."

Kaoru tried to wrest her chin from his grip and pushed against his chest with her open palms.

"No." His voice was so quiet it was nearly inaudible, but the tone was resolute and unwavering. "Tell me – did you know me?"

"Yes," she bit out finally, shaking her head in his grasp, "I knew you."

"And? How did we know each other?" His voice grew hoarse with emotion.

"You wouldn't understand," she whispered roughly, pushing harder against his chest even though she knew he wouldn't budge if he didn't want to.

"Just tell me." His fingers were winding themselves through her hair and around her neck. "Tell me, Kaoru or so help me-"

Her brilliant blue eyes shot up then, and caught him off-guard. Open and pleading and fearful and begging, he saw her soul exposed. When she spoke, the sound of her torn and jagged voice rang in his ears.

"I_ loved _you"

When she spoke, the words rang clear and true through his body, vibrating through his veins so that his heart shrank and expanded in his chest. Her voice betrayed how brittle and fragile she was, and he felt that she would go to pieces on the floor. So he gathered her into himself. He pulled her bare legs over his hips and pressed his body flush to hers so that she was pinned to the door behind her. And then, winding his hands through her hair, he kissed her.


	6. instinct

**Complete Me **

_Rating:_ M for angst, smut, and some gore and dark situations (Right now listed at T because it was originally so, but rating will be changed with the next chapter as it's going to get dark...)

_Summary_: AU, sequel to Broken Pieces. All Kaoru wants to do is forget the past and move on with her life. But when Kenshin becomes involved in an investigation that will unearth their forgotten history, they find themselves unwillingly drawn into a bloody power struggle.

_Author's Notes:_

Hey all, long time no see! For those of you still reading this, thank you for sticking with me – it's been 4 long years! I've reread the beginning of this sequel, and although I am itching to go back and edit, edit, edit, I will restrict myself to forging forward with new chapters. Just so you know, chapters may be short in the future – but I figure short is better than none at all…hope you enjoy!

**Edited some city names! Thanks for pointing it out

* * *

**Chapter 6:**** Instinct**

_When a heart breaks it also opens. _

_-Jeff Arch_

Their kiss had been all joy and fire; his hips between her thighs, his calloused fingertips inching up her spine under her shirt, his lips and tongue moving with hers.

Kaoru touched her lips with a sigh; how she'd wanted to pull him into herself, to let him take her again and again until they ran out of strength. But they'd stopped just before the point of no return, breaking apart with ragged breaths and eyes wide in discovery. Then, Kenshin had let her legs slip from his hips and folded her into his arms, tightening his hold as she wept into his shirt. He'd asked no questions and made no accusations – for which she was grateful. Instead, he'd swept her into his arms and carried her to his room, laying her on the bed and tucking himself around her. They'd spent the next few hours in silence; the only sound was her occasional sniffle and the sound of his large hands rubbing comforting circles on her back.

But she knew, in the silence, that Kenshin was waiting. Summoning her courage, Kaoru swallowed and spoke.

"I can't tell you."

She waited but he didn't speak, and the only evidence of his frustration was the feeling of his grip on her hand tightening fractionally.

"I want to," she amended, her voice cracking with emotion, "but I can't."

Kenshin sat up suddenly, pulling her with him. He cupped her face in his hands, drawing his thumbs over her cheekbones. His eyes searched her face intently.

"You can't?"

She shook her head, her lips pressed tightly. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and she held her breath. But then, he drew her even closer with one arm.

"I will ask anyway," he said, "And you decide how and if you can answer."

Kaoru leaned her cheek against his neck and nodded.

"Were we married?"

"Not in the traditional sense."

"Did we have children?"

"No."

"Where did we meet?"

"In Kyoto."

"Where in Kyoto?"

"The Takani Medical Centre."

"So," Kenshin mused aloud, "Megumi and Aoshi _did _know me. Why didn't they say anything?"

Kaoru shrugged.

"Hn," he continued, "How did we meet?"

She pressed her lips together, remembering the sounds of gunshots, screams, and her own pounding heartbeat as she fled through the halls.

"You," Kaoru answered slowly, "You visited me in the Takani Medical Centre."

"Were you sick?"

Her answer was a short bark of bitter laughter. "You might say that."

From the way her face closed, he was sure she wouldn't answer any other questions in that line, so he changed direction.

"Where did we live?"

"In the apartment I have now."

His mind's eye drifted back to the lush apartment he'd visited when he dropped her off at the hospital. It had seemed a comfortable living space. He formed a mental picture of the hearth, instantly remembering the twin swords above the mantle. Had they been his, he wondered. His lips twisted into a wry smile; he already _knew_ that topic was off limits.

"What did I do for a living?"

She blinked. "You worked for the government."

"As what?'

"A type of messenger?" She shrugged.

He tapped the tip of her nose with a finger to let her know that he was aware she wasn't being entirely truthful. With a soft smile, he let the matter drop.

"Was I good to you? Did I take care of you?"

"Not in the beginning," she answered honestly, "But we grew together. We loved each other." She closed her eyes. "In fact, I'm sure you would have died for me."

"Then, why did I leave you?"

There was a long and pregnant silence, and Kenshin feared she wouldn't answer. But then, her quiet answer came, and it shocked him to the core.

"You didn't," she whispered, and he could hear the pain in her voice, "_I_ left _you_."

"Why?" Disbelief, raw and pained, seeped into his voice.

"I can't tell you."

This time, Kenshin pulled away, his hands on her upper arms. His eyes were dark, angry storms of gold brewing in their depths. "This, you must tell me."

She shuddered, but her face hardened resolutely. "I cannot."

"Kaoru," he began, his voice deepening in warning. She was being cruel and unkind to an extreme degree, and he would have this answer, even if he had to wring it from her pretty lips. His grip tightened.

Then, she surprised him. Throwing one leg over his knees, she straddled him and pulled his head into her chest. Threading her fingers through his fine hair, she cradled him to herself and pressed her lips to his ear.

"I want to tell you, Kenshin," she whispered earnestly, "Please believe me, I _want_ to tell you. But I can't, and I won't." She heaved a sigh, and her breath on the shell of his ear made him shiver. "Just know – I didn't want to leave you. I didn't want to leave you. I didn't. I didn't, I swear."

Kenshin frowned. It sounded like she was begging for forgiveness for something he didn't remember. A memory tugged and teased at the edges of his consciousness, but try as he might, he couldn't pull it free. All he knew was that the woman in his lap was on the verge of tears again. She had pulled away slightly, her head bowed and her hands fisting in his shirt.

"But I loved you," she admitted, "And I still love you."

He flipped her onto her back, and smiled indulgently when she cried out in surprise. He pushed her shirt up to brush his fingers over her chest, and she gasped when his rough calluses caught the sensitive flesh. With his knees between hers, he dipped his head to hers.

"Then, if you love me," he murmured against her lips, "Show me."

* * *

Kaoru curled into his side, the cooling sweat from their latest climax chilling their spent bodies. He drew her close, content and satisfied.

She began tracing idle patterns on the taut skin of his arms, and he felt himself harden again in response. She had been much more than anything he could remember; snug and slick and _exhilarating_, even with the sweet pain of her fingernails raking across his back and her teeth clamping down onto his shoulder. Every pleasured gasp, every desperate thrust had been a revelation. Inside her, he had felt complete.

Her hands wandered lower. When she began to stroke him, he stifled his answering groan by turning to cover her mouth with his.

"Insatiable woman," he growled between kisses. "You shouldn't have held this back from me."

"Forgive me," she whispered back.

He gave her bottom a playful slap and chuckled. She laughed then, and it was a sweet, wonderful sound. Unable to resist, he pressed himself between her legs. To his delight, she molded her body against his in response, arching back seductively. He pushed forward, once again filling their room with her impassioned cries.

* * *

Kenshin smiled at her appreciatively as she stepped into the kitchen to join him. Swathed in his over-sized shirt, Kaoru gratefully accepted the cup of tea he held out for her. Without hesitation, she leaned into the heat of his body and he hooked an arm around her shoulders.

Dusk had fallen, and they relaxed in the quiet of the house. Kenshin, lulled by the fullness of peace, was quietly contemplating a future involving a vegetable garden and a house in the country – until he felt Kaoru stiffen in his arms.

"Kenshin?"

"Hm?"

"It's quiet, isn't it?"

"Yes."

She stepped away, her knuckles whitening around her cup of tea. She turned to him, and in the semi-dark, her face looked impossibly pale. Her eyes, her blue eyes, were alight with an unearthly glow. He stood, setting his cup down on the kitchen island.

"Kaoru?" He reached out a worried hand. "Kaoru, what is it?"

Panic flooded her face. "Yahiko," she breathed, "Where is Yahiko?"

"I'm sure he's fine -"

Her whole body began to shake as the tea cup slipped from her fingers, splintering as it hit the floor. Kaoru clutched at her head, and fell to her knees.

"Yahiko," she said in a pained wheeze, "Please help him, Kenshin."

"No," he said taking her shoulder, "We need to get you help. Now."

"No!" She grabbed his sleeve. "I can manage." She swallowed, pain clouding her vision. "I have medicine from Megumi."

"But-"

A tremor wracked her body and she fought a shriek bubbling in her throat. "Please," she begged, "Please Kenshin. You have to find Yahiko; you have to save him."

"But I don't even know where-"

"Near the store where I work," she said, horrific images rising unbidden to her mind. "Now, please, hurry."

Kenshin started to rise, a dubious look still clouding his expression. Kaoru steeled herself and pretended to get up, waving him off.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'll just get my medicine." She twisted her lips into a smile. "Now please," she pleaded, "please _hurry_."

Kenshin nodded slowly and, throwing one last concerned look over his shoulder, rushed out the door, grabbing his sword on the way. Kaoru waited until she heard the door close behind him before giving in to the urge to open her mouth in a silent scream of agony.

* * *

Kaoru was in the living room, sitting in the dark, when Kenshin pushed the door to the upper apartment open. He swore under his breath; he'd hoped to enter unnoticed and had thought she'd be waiting downstairs. She stood when she saw them, and her eyes filled with tears at the sight of the boy's limp body hanging in his arms. To his surprise, she didn't rush forward – but rather, waited for him to carefully lay the boy onto the sofa. Then she sank to her knees, her hands hovering helplessly over the small, broken body.

"Yahiko," she whispered, "I'm sorry, Yahiko."

He looked frail, his skin unnaturally pale – especially with the mottled pattern of bruises and bloodstains marring his body. His breathing was choppy and shallow, and Kaoru's eyes were drawn to his shirt, which was ripped to shreds. She gingerly lifted one of the folds and gasped at what she saw.

Lines of blood crisscrossed his chest. Long, shallow cuts made to hurt but not to kill - cuts that could only have been made by one weapon.

_A sword._

Kaoru buried her face in her hands.

"No," she began to chant, "No, no, no…"

She felt Kenshin's hand fall onto her bowed head, its weight familiar and reassuring.

"He is hurt but not in danger of dying," he said, voice low and comforting, "I got there just at the right moment."

"Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you."

"His attackers have been remanded into custody." He added, as an afterthought, "Saitoh has been notified and will be in charge of their interrogation."

Kaoru nodded absently, lifting her head and twining her fingers around Yahiko's.

"It was strange that his attackers were using swords. You don't have any inkling as to why, do you?"

Kaoru pointedly ignored him.

"Kaoru," he began, dropping onto one knee beside her, "You need to tell me. I can protect you. I can protect him." He gestured to the boy.

Her face was schooled into a mask of ice when she turned to look at him.

"No," she said with a finality that was strangely familiar.

"We're going to find the people responsible for this. But I need you to help me."

"No."

"Saitoh will get the men I caught to talk, but I need you to tell me what you know," he said, shaking his head, "Kaoru, they were torturing him for information about _you_. Do I need to tell you the details to get you to talk to me?"

"I already know." Her voice was steel. "And your prisoners will tell you nothing; they will kill themselves first."

"What?" He regarded the certainty in her face, stunned. "How do you-"

"I _know_."

His face darkened. "How do you know, Kaoru? And speaking of that, how did you know about Yahiko?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It _does_."

Kaoru turned away to look at Yahiko's face. "I can't tell you, Kenshin," she announced quietly, cupping Yahiko's cheek in her hand, "Because I don't really understand it myself. I know only one thing: I need to get him to Megumi, the Takani Medical Centre."

"There are hospitals here."

"No," she answered, "It needs to be there. Besides, I used up all my medicine." She grimaced. "And only Megumi has it."

"Kaoru, you know I can't do that. Besides, Kyoto is six hours by car and Yahiko's condition will just get worse."

"I need to go to Megumi, and I am asking you to help me." Kaoru said, "But I am going, with or without your help or approval, Kenshin." She swallowed and met his questioning eyes.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Kenshin realized he couldn't refuse her. And so, he moved to lift Yahiko. After wrapping him in blankets and settling him into the backseat of his car, they set off for Kyoto.

* * *

Light was just beginning to tint the horizon as the grim trio slipped unnoticed into the Takani Medical Centre. Kenshin watched, with practiced, analytical eyes, as Megumi approached, her face tight with worry. Though her eyes misted over with tears, she barked precise orders as to where to put Yahiko. She nodded to Aoshi as her efficient hands went to work on the small boy. The tall man, who had appeared like a silent shadow, guided Kaoru away with a hand at her elbow. Kenshin followed, his eyes catching the cracks in the man's calm façade. Aoshi directed Kaoru into sitting down on a hospitable bed. He handed her a small bottle of white capsules.

When she shook out a small handful of pills, he made as if to protest, but the glare she sent him stilled his words. Without preamble, Kaoru tossed the pills back and swallowed. A look of peace washed over her face and she settled back into the bed, her eyes drifting closed almost immediately.

"You've worked hard, Kaoru." Aoshi sighed, and pressed his hand to her forehead.

"Ask your question," Aoshi addressed the man behind him without turning as he brushed Kaoru's damp bangs away from her face.

"You could have told me."

"She did not wish it."

"Why not?"

"It is for her to tell you."

Aoshi could feel the man reign in his battle instincts before speaking again.

"So, you also knew me before?"

"Yes. But you used a different name, then."

"Which was?"

Megumi strode into the room, flipping her hair over her shoulder and levelling the men with a glare that would have sent others cowering to a corner.

"You both should know better than to have this conversation here," she wagged an accusing finger in their direction, "Come with me."

"You also knew me," Kenshin narrowed his eyes at her.

"I did," she replied unapologetically, "And I hated you. But come with me and I will _enlighten_ you."

"Megumi-" Aoshi started, warningly.

"Shut up, you stupid ninja." She turned on her heel and marched away. "I don't care. She may not want this, but it's high time someone told this idiot what was going on so he can at least figure out a way to protect her."

The tall woman led them from the room and down the long corridor. Pushing open a set of double doors, she strode purposefully into a room and turned to face them, crossing her arms over her chest. Kenshin entered at a more sedate pace, his eyes searching out every corner. He'd seen this room during his previous visit. A long white conference table and a wall of windows; yes, he had seen this room before.

"We must have met here," he said, distracted, "She said I visited her here."

Megumi laughed mirthlessly, a sharp, bitter sound. "Did she?" She marched up to Kenshin and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. "Yes, you met her here."

Aoshi materialized between them, his fingers tightening in warning around Megumi's wrist.

She chuckled acidly. "Don't even try to intimidate me, Aoshi. You know what I'm doing is for the best; she chose _him_ after all, and he needs to know."

"She doesn't want him to know."

"That's too bad. We knew her first and best," Megumi countered, "And I've had enough of her self-sacrifice. She gave everything, _everything-_"

"You will explain."

Aoshi and Megumi both turned at the sound of Kenshin's dark voice. His face was unreadable, but his stance was as dangerous as it had ever been.

"And don't think I do not know about the scars on her body." His tone was silky, dangerously so. "They appear to be burn marks, torture marks. I saw them myself. You will also explain that to me. Now."

Megumi smiled at him, and it was not sweet. "You touched her, didn't you? She let you touch her with those filthy hands of yours," she hissed, spite saturating her every syllable, "She is being hunted – as she always has been – for her abilities. She was tortured, yes, because of those abilities. But it was you," her voice rose to a crescendo, "It was _you_ who tried to kill her in this very room!"

Shock flooded Kenshin's senses, but before he could voice another word, his mobile phone pulsed in his pocket. He whipped it out angrily.

"What?" He snapped.

Aoshi and Megumi watched as Kenshin's face widened further in alarm.

"The prisoners killed themselves? How?"

_"Seppuku," _Saitoh's sardonic voice buzzed over the line_, "You seem surprised."_

"She knew it would happen."

_"She – as in our dear Kaoru Kamiya? Oh my. Here is something that might interest you - I have come across information about one of her acquaintances, one Soujiro Seta." _There was a pause as Saitoh continued.

"What?" Kenshin's expression grew thunderous, and he slammed the phone closed. He strode away from Megumi and Aoshi without a backward glance, nearly crushing the phone in his grip. Heedless of Megumi's demands for quiet, he threw the door to Kaoru's room open, ignoring it as it crashed into the wall.

_She was gone._

_

* * *

_

_**Next Chapter: Through Blood**_


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